A Little Knowledge
by Bill K
Summary: A potentially revolutionary discovery becomes a threat to Tokyo and the Senshi. And Makoto's son must deal with the notoriety of being the son of a Senshi.
1. What We Do Best

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 1: What We Do Best  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

Sailor Moon and all related characters are (c)2016 by Naoko Takeuchi and are used without permission, but with respect. Story is (c)2016 by Bill K. Special thanks go out to Toshimichi Suzuki, Junji Fujita and Masamune Shirow for the inspiration.

* * *

Luna walked into the room that Serenity had given her and Artemis as their official office in the palace. While Luna still lived with the Royal Family and Artemis still lived with Minako in their respective quarters, Luna felt it necessary to have a central office from which to manage the palace, monitor events of the world and coordinate responses should the Senshi be needed. Habitually the black cat spent at least part of her day there, if only to make certain that Artemis wasn't sleeping when he should be monitoring.

Today found Artemis hard at work at his laptop, not unusual, but of potential interest. What was unusual was that Ami was working beside him on a second computer. Silently the black cat circled around and leaped up onto a shelf behind them. Artemis was examining computer program command strings with an intensity of concentration matched only by Ami. She was examining schematics for something - - Luna couldn't really tell what it was.

"Morning, Luna," Artemis said distantly while he stared at the screen. "Get tired of harassing the security staff?"

"Your concept of harassment is as deficient as your concept of humor," huffed Luna. "What are you two doing?"

"Analyzing the artificial cybernetic module from Akaruimirai Corporation that ran amok two weeks ago," Ami replied, her concentration still on the schematic.

"The one the Mars impostor destroyed?" Luna commented. "Have you learned anything?"

"Quite a bit. This is an impressive feat of engineering. As a working model, this is quite sophisticated and potentially capable of everything Dr. Heiwajima hoped it to be. The only drawback, of course, is its unwieldy size."

"And the fact that it went rogue," Artemis added. "Dr. Heiwajima wasn't just aiming for a physically superior artificial humanoid form. These command strings were leading into something that, well, borders on artificial intelligence."

"A device that could think independently?" Luna asked.

"Yes, that was in the proposal I reviewed," Ami answered, looking up from the schematic. "Dr. Heiwajima wanted an android that was capable of making independent decisions so that it could deal with unexpected problems if injected into hazardous situations. Artificial intelligence has up to now been theoretical. If this project has made a breakthrough, it's a potentially revolutionary discovery."

"But the device went rogue," Luna warned. "The atom bomb was a wondrous breakthrough, but one that was ultimately a danger to civilization."

"It's a strained comparison," Ami replied, "but your concern is justified. We've all seen what harm a rogue A.I. can do just from the future experiments of Yui Bidou. But if we can find out why the A.I. went rogue, whether due to faulty programming or harmful external stimulus, in theory we can eliminate the problem, or at least guard against it. Artemis is attempting that now."

"And not having much luck," the white cat sighed. "I have to admit that some of this stuff is beyond me. I haven't found any programming errors, but I may have missed something because I didn't know what I was looking for."

"Perhaps there are other experts that could review the material," suggested Luna.

"I'm reluctant to do that," Ami said. "This work is proprietary and belongs to Dr. Heiwajima and the Akaruimirai Corporation. We can look at it because we are a governmental investigation and don't intend to profit from it. Someone else might, and that isn't fair to Dr. Heiwajima."

"Well if we can't be certain that Dr. Heiwajima isn't making a potentially dangerous apparatus, His Majesty's government will be forced to shut it down," Luna proclaimed. "I dare say they won't find that terribly fair, either."

* * *

In the port town of Tongyeong, South Korea, times were difficult. The ice disaster of the previous summer was gone, but the destruction left in its wake still had a grip on the area. Though Tongyeong was dotted with functional, egg-shaped housing and wild-growth fruits and vegetables, it was still a place dependent upon the port and industry connected to that port for its economic health. And Queen Serenity hadn't rebuilt the harbor, the storage facilities or the manufacturing that supported the fishing and cargo trade.

And neither had the private sector nor the government. The population was struggling. Government officials were busy protecting their power bases and businesses that were still functioning were preying on the ones who couldn't, motivated by a quick profit. And South Korea wasn't alone: Reports were coming in to Japan of countries all over the globe in similar situations. Japan was suddenly getting refugees from Korea, China, The Philippines and other nations along the western Pacific Rim and they all told the same story.

Which is why several workers trying to repair a dock in the Tongyeong harbor suddenly saw an amazing sight in the sky above them. It was a woman in a white gown, the bow behind her resembling wings. She had golden blonde hair fluttering behind her in twin trails. She seemed to glisten in the sunlight of dawn over the Korea Strait. She looked like a goddess.

And the woman with brown hair dressed in green and white who held her hand wasn't so bad either.

The women descended onto a road leading to the wharf. On either side of the road were two buildings which had been warehouses, but which were now rubble. Their feet gently touched the pavement. Then the blonde woman crumpled, her body braced by her companion.

"Serenity?" Sailor Jupiter gasped.

"I'm . . ." Serenity gasped. "My, that was a long trip!" She sucked in air like she'd run a marathon.

"I knew you were doing too much!" Jupiter clucked.

"It was the only way to get here," Serenity panted. "Teleporting would have REALLY knocked me for a loop! Maybe I should have brought Endymion."

"Maybe," Jupiter smiled. Even with all the changes her friend had undergone in her ascension from Sailor Moon to Serenity, sweet daffy little Usagi was still in there. Jupiter found that reassuring.

"Well, better get to work," Serenity said. Jupiter reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Hold on, Hon'," Jupiter admonished. "Give yourself a chance to catch your breath! There's still time to do this."

"But everyone is suffering!" Serenity argued. "I don't want it to last any longer than it has to!"

Just then, they noticed several of the dock workers edging closer to them. Jupiter eyed them warily, but Serenity gave them all a warm smile.

["Are you a goddess?"] one of the men asked.

"I'm sorry. I don't speak Korean," Serenity offered. "Wait a minute," and she snapped her fingers. "Do you understand me now?"

"Ah!" the man gasped in wonder. His companions were equally impressed.

"Pardon, but are you Sailor Moon?" another of the men asked.

"You know me here?"

"Your anime," he smiled. "Very popular with my son."

"I'll bet," Jupiter said under her breath, smirking.

"Why are you here?" the first man asked.

"Well, I heard your country was having some trouble recovering from the ice disaster," Serenity explained. "And I wanted to see if I could help."

"You would help us?" another in the group asked. By now more people from the docks were approaching.

"Sure," Jupiter told him. "Who do you think built all of those egg-shaped houses and grew all of those fruit trees in your front yard?"

"But," the man sputtered, "you're Japanese."

"I'm a person," Serenity smiled, "helping another person the best way I can. That's all."

Turning from them, Serenity took several steps down the road. She spread her arms and let her head roll back. A silver light began to come from her chest. Everyone looked in awe as the Silver Crystal emerged from a warp over Serenity's chest. The dazzling gem seemed to shine over everything, giving the area a silver cast.

"Hon', you're sure you're up to this?" Jupiter inquired nervously.

Ignoring her companion, Serenity's hair trails streaming behind her, the Queen arched. A silver wave spread out from her, distorting everything visible as the wave passed. When their sight readjusted, everyone watching her exclaimed in amazement. The docks were as they were before the disaster. The two warehouses on either side of the road that had been rubble were now restored to their previous form. Everyone looked around. It was as if there had never been a disaster.

Serenity recalled the Silver Crystal into the warp. She sighed once. Then she sank to the ground, landing in a very ungainly manner on her bottom. Jupiter was by her side in an instant.

"I told you this was too much!" she fretted.

"Actually it gets easier every time I do it," Serenity said, though her eyes were unfocused and her voice slightly slurred.

"You," one of the men exclaimed, "you fixed the docks!"

"I've repaired all of the essential businesses that effect the economy," Serenity told him, her hand on her head to steady it.

"In Tongyeong?" he gasped.

"In Korea," she said. "Now maybe you all can stop struggling to survive and finally live."

Everyone looked at each other in amazement. But suddenly Serenity began struggling to get to her feet.

"Hon', what is it?" Jupiter asked.

"The time!" Serenity gasped. "I've got to get back home - - get Setsuko-Chan ready for school!"

"I don't think you're in any shape to travel just yet."

"But Jupiter!" Serenity whined insistently. Jupiter smiled.

"So how about I help you out?" she said. "Jupiter power."

The jewel in Jupiter's tiara began to glow. Instantly Serenity began to feel much better. Her eyes cleared and her posture straightened.

"Thank you," Serenity beamed.

"Hey, everybody needs help now and then," Jupiter beamed back. "Besides, I've got kids that I've got to get ready for school, too."

And with that, the pair levitated into the air and out over the Korea Strait toward Japan. Left in their wake were the amazed, the grateful, and even a few converts.

* * *

In an office in the Akaruimirai Corporation's Tokyo headquarters, two men were sitting at desks facing each other in the center of the room. One, Nick Devlin, was working diligently at a laptop connected to a mainframe under the desk. Devlin, an American, was forty-six with thick black hair, a square face and intense deep blue eyes that focused on the display of his computer. Devlin had been hired by Akaruimirai straight out of Cal Tech and had been in their robotics and cybernetics division for twenty years, the last ten in the Tokyo branch. His co-workers saw him as energetic and borderline brilliant in the field, but deferential to a fault to his superiors and amiable with his other fellow employees. If he had a fault, it was the intensity he could demonstrate when talking about a project or when working on a new breakthrough.

Because of this intensity, he only noticed what was going on in the room when he heard a pencil cup clatter on the floor. Looking up, Devlin surveyed the room and concluded that the cup had fallen because his colleague had swatted it in anger.

His colleague was Dr. Yogen Heiwajima. Heiwajima was the lead researcher in the department. Thirtyish, with medium brown hair to his collar, glasses and a bushy medium brown mustache in the middle of his long face, Dr. Heiwajima seemed more American than Devlin. At the moment, his eyes seethed behind his glasses and he glared at nothing in particular.

"I know you're upset," Devlin began.

"They had no right," Heiwajima fumed. "It's MY WORK! They had no right to take it from me!"

"I agree with you. But the government is just concerned with the welfare of the public. They'll give Daiyaku back once they've determined that it isn't a threat to anyone."

"What if they don't?"

Devlin looked at him. "I'm sure you don't have to worry about them stealing it."

"Serenity and Endymion? No, of course not," Heiwajima shook his head. "But what if they decide that it is a danger? That a single failed dry run makes it a threat to everyone?" Heiwajima became emotional. "The Daiyaku Project is my life. I've spent years working on it. I've put everything I have into it. And I'm close! Close to an A.I. controlled cybernaut that can revolutionize human life! You've seen it, Devlin-San!"

"I have. It's brilliant work," Devlin nodded. "The potential benefits to humanity are endless. And you are close. The Daiyaku Project could be up and in production by 2025 - - sooner with a little luck."

"If only I knew why it went berserk," muttered Heiwajima. "I've been over the A.I. command strings, and over them and over them! Nothing's out of place! Nothing's wrong! It should have worked!"

"Maybe it started evolving on its own?" Devlin suggested. "Given its potential in independent decision-making . . ."

"No, I checked for that. The A.I. was too rudimentary for it to begin to evolve. And by attacking people, it was violating its safety protocols."

There was a heavy silence in the room.

"Have you considered," Devlin began cautiously, "external sabotage?"

"A rival company?" Heiwajima asked.

"Maybe," Devlin shrugged. "Or, maybe the government got wind of what you were doing. Maybe they sabotaged it to give them an excuse to impound it."

"Sailor Moon?" Heiwajima responded with astonishment. Then he shook his head. "Impossible."

"You never know."

"No," he restated. "It's not possible. Not her. She's saved us too many times."

"OK," Devlin shrugged. "You know her better than I do. You've lived with her running around in your city. Back at Cal Tech, I just knew her from the old video tapes one of my lab mates had of her cartoon show." Devlin sobered. "But maybe it's somebody else in the government. You know, the 'old guard' isn't too happy about her taking over. Maybe they did it to embarrass her or make her look bad."

"Or they plan to use Daiyaku as a weapon against her," Heiwajima mumbled. He glanced at Devlin. His research partner didn't respond, but the look on his face echoed the troubling thoughts Dr. Heiwajima was having.

* * *

"You don't have to do this," Rei said far more plaintively than she wanted.

She was at the gate of the palace, talking to her great-grandmother Moriko. Waiting was a palace vehicle that would ferry her back to the farmland east of Tomisato. The old woman turned to her.

"You don't have to go to The Philippines," Moriko told her. "But you sense its for the best. I sense this is for the best."

"But I just found you!" Rei protested. Moriko smiled.

"I'm not going away forever, Rei-Chan," she said. "But I have never liked the city, Tokyo least of all. And with you gone, there is no reason for me to stay."

"But . . .!"

Moriko cupped her cheek. "Do the work of your calling. Bring comfort and enlightenment to others. And when you return, so will I. You are the only reason I would come back to this - - oppressive place."

"I don't know how long I'll be gone."

"As a Kitsune-Zenko, I have lived many years," Moriko told her gently. "And I have many more before me, by the grace of Inari. We will see each other again."

"How will I contact you?" Rei asked, resigned to the situation as inevitable.

"I will know," Moriko assured her. "Inari is kind. She will tell me."

The old woman turned and got into the back of the car. The engine came to life and the car pulled off and out of sight. Rei watched it go.

"By your mercy, wise Inari," the priest whispered.

* * *

"I haven't seen Minako around much," Makoto commented. She was walking down a corridor on the palace living quarters level. Artemis was on her right while Luna walked on her left. "She's not still down about Ace skipping out again, is she?"

"Well, she wasn't happy about it," Artemis informed them. "But he's skipped out on her so many times, she's developed a really thick skin about it. It's not like it was after the incident in China. Besides, she's got the script for that Sailor Moon movie she's going to do. That gives her the chance to bury herself in learning her lines and not dwell on Ace."

"That's good," Makoto nodded. "I know she puts up a big front, but every time she has a run in with Ace, he breaks her heart just a little more."

"Perhaps that's part of the problem," sniffed Luna. "If he were to stay, she might actually come to the realization that he's an untrustworthy cad and a bounder and stop giving in to him."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Makoto smiled knowingly. "Haven't seen you around much either, Artemis."

"I'm still trying to find out what made that robot freak out," the white cat told her.

"You're allowing Minako to corrupt you again," Luna advised him. "'Freak out' indeed."

"You'll find it," Makoto offered. "Between you and Ames, I can't imagine anyone hiding anything for long. Why do you suppose someone would try to turn that thing into a killing machine anyway?"

"The possibilities are as many and varied as there are human emotions," Luna philosophized. "And often quite as dark. I still hold out hope that Her Majesty can eradicate such behavior in this world. However I've come to the realization that it will be a long and arduous process."

Makoto and Artemis exchanged amused glances. Arriving at her quarters, Makoto bid the cats good-bye and went in. Her kids wouldn't be home from school for two hours yet. That gave her ample time to indulge in one of the things that kept her grounded and sane: cooking for them. However, she wasn't five feet into the domicile when her husband Sanjuro walked into the room and met her. Instantly she could see the troubled look on her husband's face.

"Babe, we've got a problem," Sanjuro said. Ten thousand different scenarios, each one more horrible than the last, raced through her head. "I got a call from school today. There was a fight . . ."

Makoto groaned. "What am I going to do with her? I have told Akiko and told her that fighting is not lady-like!"

"Babe, it wasn't Akiko," Sanjuro told her. "It was Ichiro."

You could have knocked Makoto over with a feather.

Continued in Chapter 2


	2. Fight For What's Right

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 2: Fight For What's Right  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

Makoto knocked lightly on the door, then eased it open. She didn't quite know what to expect, already stunned by the news that her peaceful, placid little Ichiro had been in a fight at school.

"Champ?" she ventured timidly.

The boy was sitting at his desk. Reluctantly he turned around and immediately Makoto wanted to collapse in tears. There were cuts and bruises all over his cheeks and jaw. When Ichiro's hand drew the cold compress away, she could see his left eye was swollen shut.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he whimpered. That probably hurt the worst. Makoto came over to him, sank to her knees and crushed the boy to her.

"Ami looked him over," Sanjuro told her from the doorway. "She said there were no internal injuries and the swelling will go down in a few days. We'll know then if there's any eye damage."

"Champ, what happened?" Makoto pleaded after she released the hug.

"There was this guy in school," Ichiro began reluctantly. "He was picking on Sakata-Kun and making her cry. I," and he looked down, like he was disappointed by his actions, "got between them. Told him to stop." Ichiro swallowed. "So he hit me. But I wouldn't move. So he kept hitting me."

"Didn't you defend yourself?" Makoto asked him.

"I'm not very good at fighting," Ichiro confessed with much embarrassment. "And Auntie Usagi says that fighting doesn't solve anything. But you're always saying that we have to protect people who can't protect themselves." His brow furrowed. "And that was the only way I knew how."

Makoto gathered him in again, hugged him and kissed the side of his head - - the one opposite his swollen eye.

"That was a brave thing you did, Champ," she whispered, emotion stealing her voice. "I'm very, very proud of you. But maybe we need to teach you how to defend yourself."

"Do we have to?" Ichiro asked.

"It's OK to defend yourself," Makoto said, tenderly stroking his chin. "That way, you don't end up with a bunch of bruises that mess up your handsome face."

"I can show you a few things if you want me to," Sanjuro offered. Ichiro seemed less than thrilled.

"Ichiro?" Makoto gently pressed him.

"I don't want to fight," he told them.

"OK," Makoto responded, trying to reassure him. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I"m still proud of you. It takes courage to stand up to bullies. It takes even more courage not to sink to their level. You just have to know that sometimes you're going to end up with a lot of pain to deal with."

"I guess," he said. Makoto leaned in and kissed his forehead. From the other room, Sanjuro heard Akiko arrive home.

"Hey, Squirt, I heard you got into a fight at school," Akiko proclaimed, entering the room. She stopped and goggled at the sight of her brother. "Wow, he busted you up! I hope you made him look worse!"

"Akiko, be quiet!" snapped Makoto.

"What did I do?" the girl complained.

"What happened to the other boy?" Sanjuro asked. "Did the school administrators deal with him?"

Ichiro wouldn't answer.

"I don't think so," Akiko finally said.

"Well do you know who he is?" Makoto asked, her anger rising.

"I just heard about it," Akiko alibied.

"Champ?" Makoto asked Ichiro.

"I don't know him," he admitted finally. "He's not in my class."

"Well I'm going to find about this," Makoto declared. She got to her feet and steamed out. Sanjuro and Akiko followed her.

"I wish you wouldn't," Ichiro mumbled as he put the compress back to his eye.

* * *

Haneda Airport: Though commercial flights to other countries was still hit and miss, due to different rates of progress of other countries in recovery from the ice disaster, flights did leave. And private charters, such as the one waiting for Rei Hino, flew as well. So as the plane, a Bombardier Global 7000 passenger jet, went through its final pre-flight checks, a group of very famous people stood on the tarmac and bid their farewells.

For Rei Hino and her significant other Derek Johnson were embarking on an aid mission to help the government of The Philippines recover from the disaster. And all of her friends were seeing her off.

"What are you so nervous about?" Rei asked Makoto as they held hands. "I'm the one flying."

"Old habits," Makoto swallowed. "You know how I am around airports."

"I'll be fine," Rei assured her.

"You saw that?" Makoto asked nervously.

"Yes," Rei lied. She still didn't have visions or premonitions.

"Hope this helps you get well," Minako said, taking up where Makoto left off. "It's no fun teasing you the way you are now."

"I'll try really hard just for you," the priest replied sarcastically. Minako flashed her a grin.

"Hopefully you won't run into any bureaucratic obstacles and you'll be able to do some good," Ami told her. "But if you do, don't consider it a failure."

"If I do," Rei smiled, "you know how stubborn I can be." Ami returned her smile.

"Oh, Rei, I miss you already!" whimpered Queen Serenity. "Promise me you'll call if you need anything!"

"Well, I don't know what the phone service will be like," Rei demurred. Then she looked Serenity straight in the eye. "So I guess I'll just have to use the Senshi Communicator."

"That's good," Serenity nodded. "You call me every day - - with, um, status updates."

"Every day," Rei assured her.

"Or every hour if you want!"

"Now you're being silly," Rei gently admonished her.

"Well," Serenity grimaced, "I like being silly. I've got so many responsibilities that I don't get a chance to be silly nearly as much as I used to." Then, with a gravity Rei didn't recall her friend ever having, Serenity grasped her hands and looked her right in the eye. "I hope you're able to help a lot of people find their way again. And maybe in doing that, you'll be able to find your way again."

The priest was momentarily speechless. Then she smiled warmly.

"You know, Serenity, I think you're beginning to grow into this job," Rei told her. She should have anticipated the squeal of delight and the bear hug, but Rei was surprised anyway when Serenity did it. As Ami and Makoto looked on with warm amusement, Minako turned to Derek.

"Take care of her, huh Big Guy?" Minako requested.

"If she'll let me," Derek sighed.

With that, Rei and Derek, along with the other aid volunteers, boarded the jet. It taxied, turned, and took off. Serenity didn't leave the tarmac until it was out of sight.

* * *

"Beliveau-Sama," the personal assistant said over the phone, "Heiwajima-Sensei would like to speak with you."

Arnold Beliveau scowled, for he could imagine what this would be about. "Send him through."

Arnold Beliveau was the president of Akaruimirai Corporation. The man, sixty with white hair and a thick white mustache that his thick frame tried to hide behind, had purchased Akaruimirai Corporation six years ago, using the funds he'd acquired in Belgium dabbling in various assets. Though Beliveau's main background had been video games and internet tech, he had thrown himself into Akaruimirai's business with vigor upon takeover. It had been Beliveau who had sought out Dr. Heiwajima, praising his theories about advanced robotics and cybernetics. It had been Beliveau who had set Heiwajima up with a lab and a generous research budget. On Heiwajima's recommendation, it had been Beliveau who had Nick Devlin transferred to Tokyo as Heiwajima's chief assistant. He believed in Heiwajima and, though impatient for results, kept the scientist's project alive. So naturally he would be the first one Heiwajima would come to. And naturally Beliveau would see him.

"Heiwajima-Sensei," Beliveau said in European-accented Japanese, rising and gesturing the man to a chair. "I can imagine why you're here."

"They had no right to take it, Beliveau-Sama!" Heiwajima fumed.

"Well," Beliveau began with slight fatigue, "they did." Heiwajima looked at him in shock. "When your prototype went berserk, it became a threat to public safety and the government had the opening to step in. They really had no choice."

"But to confiscate it?" howled Heiwajima. "That's my life's work!"

"I talked to King Endymion himself. That's the official stance of the Japanese government. And I can't really come up with a sound argument against it."

"Will they give it back? Are they just going to impound it?"

"We are taking steps to ensure the return of it as a proprietary asset," Beliveau assured him. "You have to realize that we're dealing with an entirely new entity of government here. There were legal means of regaining and protecting our proprietary assets under the old system. But the monarchy has absolute power in this matter and the old means may not work."

It didn't seem like that was what Heiwajima wanted to hear.

"Have you discovered why it went rogue?" Beliveau asked.

"Not yet," Heiwajima sighed in frustration. "It has to be some external influence on the artificial intelligence. I've been over the initial programming three times and it's flawless."

"Has Devlin been over it as well? You may have missed something."

"Yes, he concurs. There was no flaw in the initial programming." Heiwajima scowled at a thought. "They're never giving it back, are they?"

"Well, the sooner you can find out why this happened, the more likely it will be returned," Beliveau advised him. "If we can demonstrate to their satisfaction that it isn't a public threat, I think they'll be mollified." The man still seemed unconvinced. "Heiwajima-Sensei, this isn't the end of the fight. As I said, our attorneys are taking steps to secure its return. I want it back as much as you do. So you let me worry about taking on the Japanese government and you find out what corrupted that A.I. OK?"

Heiwajima still didn't seem convinced. But after a few moments, he got up, bowed and mumbled a thank you, then left. Beliveau leaned back in his chair.

He hadn't been lying. Recovering the Daiyaku Project was just as important to him as it was to Heiwajima.

* * *

Ami entered her quarters in the palace, closed the door and expelled a breath of fatigue. She heard the rattle of plates in the dining area and, curious, she went to investigate. There she found her husband Hayami setting out a very sumptuous-looking meal.

"You look tired," he commented, glancing up at her. The man pushed his glasses up on his nose, a habit Ami had long ago noticed and associated with him, and gestured for her to sit. "Any luck with the 'killer robot'?"

"Please don't take this as a denigration of your culinary skills," Ami began, "but I can't bring myself to believe you cooked this."

"Once again the deductive genius isn't fooled," Hayami smiled, almost embarrassed by his stab at humor. "Although it isn't a very large leap of logic, given my lack of skill at cooking. No, I had the chefs in the dining hall prepare something for us. I figured you'd be too tired or preoccupied to prepare something."

"And my lack of cooking skill is relatively equal to yours," Ami jabbed gently. "It does look very good. It also brings back fond memories of the Butterfly Palace."

The couple sat down to their meal.

"To your other question," Ami started, "I haven't found anything in the schematics of the robot to indicate anything that would make it go rogue. There has to be some flaw or unforeseen mutation in the programming itself."

"Sabotage?" Hayami inquired.

"I won't rule it out, although Artemis has found no evidence," Ami related. "It's possible that the device's A.I. simply mutated past its programmed protocols and acted in what it saw as self-defense." She chewed on some asparagus. "It's too bad if that's the case. My studies of Dr. Heiwajima's project details have led me to the conclusion that he was very close to a gigantic leap in scientific progress."

"Through the robot or the artificial intelligence?"

"Well, the robot itself would be a tremendous achievement. Imagine an artificial construct capable of doing everything a human can do, but expendable for hazardous situations in need of human maintenance or problem-solving. And then to have an artificial construct be able to think and react along human parameters . . ."

When she trailed off, Hayami glanced at her. He saw Ami with a faraway look on her face and a sober expression.

"Ami?"

"Oh," she shook herself. "Just - - reliving a bad memory." Hayami continued to look at her with concern. "I was flashing back to Yui's dystopian future made possible by androids with just such an artificial intelligence." She grasped a napkin and nervously dabbed at her mouth. "I thought I'd sufficiently compartmentalized that particular," and her voice seized up for a second, "trauma."

Hayami reached over and covered her hand with his. Ami gave him a sentimental smile as a silent thank you.

"Still it is just such a possibility that requires us to make absolutely certain such technology doesn't become a threat," Ami continued. "Technology will always be subject to misuse by - - misguided humans. It behooves us to make certain that isn't the case here."

"And to find out whether the technology has the capacity to misuse itself," Hayami added. Ami nodded gravely.

* * *

At school the next day, Ichiro Ikegami approached the building with a sense of impending doom. He knew, through some sixth sense that the meek had about such things, that Hideki Irasashi would be waiting for him. For if Hideki Irasashi had been brought to task for the beating he administered yesterday, the boy would want revenge. And if he hadn't, he'd know he could get away with it and try again. It was one of the reasons he hadn't wanted his mother to get involved. There was a very slight chanced that Hideki Irasashi would be sated by yesterday's violence and the incident would be forgotten. And Ichiro could go back to his safe, quiet life.

"Ikegami-Kun?" he heard a girl say. Ichiro turned to the voice he recognized as Mai Sakata. The girl sucked in air with a start at seeing his injuries. Her lower lip began to quiver. Then she summoned her courage and bowed to him. "Thank you very much for defending me," she said with a quivering voice. "I'm very sorry you got hurt."

Ichiro looked at her as she straightened up. Mai was a plain girl, with shoulder length black hair and straight bangs across her forehead. She was a little chubby, very shy and awkward around people. It was one of the reasons why she didn't have a lot of friends. Her gratitude was a comfort to him, but the look of regret in her eyes made him uncomfortable.

"I was," he began, "just doing the right thing. I hope Irasashi-Kun doesn't bother you any more. If that happens, it was worth it."

"B-But your eye," Mai stammered.

"My," Ichiro began, then mentally edited, "doctor said it should be all right. I'll know more in a couple of . . ."

"Well, the two love-birds are together again," snickered Hideki Irasashi. Ichiro winced internally, then forced himself to turn to the boy. Irasashi hadn't changed since yesterday: he was still a brutish little bowling ball with a round head, sloped shoulders, abnormally big hands and a sadistic grin that fed off of the pain of others. Two other boys who ran with Irasashi, both larger than Ichiro, hung back.

"Leave her alone," Ichiro warned, mentally suppressing the urge inside to run. Adrenalin was racing through his body to the point where his limbs seemed to almost have minds of their own.

"Yesterday's beating wasn't enough?" grunted the boy. "You want me to close the other eye, Ikegami?"

Ichiro forced himself to stand his ground, in spite of every instinct within him shouting at him to flee. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mai backing up, her face silently screaming her terror.

"Hey, Irasashi!" one of the boys hissed. Ichiro glanced at him and immediately noticed the boy's intimidation. "Maybe you better lay off!"

"Why?" grunted the boy, his eyes never leaving Ichiro.

"Do you know who his mom is?" the other companion gasped.

"No," Irasashi replied cynically. "Who's his Mommy? Queen Serenity?"

"Sailor Jupiter!" the boy said anxiously.

Irasashi lost some of his swagger.

"And if she's not already looking for you," the boy continued, "she will be if you beat him up again!"

"I," Irasashi mumbled, but couldn't think of the rest of the sentence. Ichiro watched his eyes begin to widen and his face grow pale as thoughts of thrashing helplessly while a million volts of electricity danced through him played out in the young bully's mind. "I, uh . . ." he stammered again. Irasashi back up two steps, then suddenly turned and walked away, his companions quickly joining him. The trio thought that if they surrendered now and just walked away, they might avoid the terrible fate that suddenly dominated their youthful imaginations.

Ichiro grimaced, a foul taste in his mouth. Then he glanced at Mai Sakata. The girl just stared at him in utter shock, like he wasn't human anymore.

And this was another reason why he didn't want his mother involved.

Continued in Chapter 3


	3. Secrets To Protect

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 3: Secrets To Protect  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

"Your Majesty, have you heard . . ." Luna began as she entered the private office of The Queen. The cat stopped short when she saw both King Endymion and Queen Serenity watching a news program.

"...North Korea said in an address broadcast on the State-run television network: 'This blatant attack by the imperialist aggressors in Japan will not be tolerated. Take this as a warning that any further attempts to sabotage the rightful and sovereign government of this country will invite the strongest of retaliation. Your streets will run red. Your country will burn.'"

"Ah, so you've heard," the black cat commented dryly.

"I don't understand," Serenity said in shock. "I rebuilt all of their businesses! I was just trying to help!"

"And you did a wonderful job," Endymion consoled her. "We've received hundreds of communications by phone and by e-mail, thanking you. The messages range from official thanks down to every day citizens of Korea."

"We've also received nearly a dozen requests that you perform the same service for their country," Luna added. "Don't be swayed by the ravings of a single person who feels threatened by your demonstration of magnanimity. He's only cross because you made him look bad."

"Maybe I should try to talk to him," Serenity mused. "Get him to see that I only want to help."

"I'll make some overtures," Endymion smiled.

"In other news," the news reader continued, "Japanese coastal patrols picked up another boatload of refugees. The boat, a craft designed for fifteen passengers that was carrying fifty, launched two days ago from the Bonin Islands. It nearly capsized in the Pacific before the refugees were taken aboard the Japanese patrol boats."

"Another group of refugees," Luna frowned. "This is threatening to become a problem, Your Majesty."

"It has that potential," Endymion mumbled thoughtfully.

"Endymion?" Serenity asked.

"This is the eighth craft that's landed on Japanese shores overloaded with people fleeing hardship in their country," he explained. "Three have been from Korea, two from China, and one each from Taiwan and Russia. Plus we've had an increase in stowaways on cargo ships and commercial airliners, as well as a huge increase in applications for resident visas."

"Don't forget that reckless young man who flew his entire family from The Philippines in a single-engine aircraft," Luna added. "Nearly crashed into the East China Sea, bloody fool. Fortunately for his family, he made it to Nagasaki."

"He must have been desperate," Serenity mused.

"Or single-minded," Luna sniffed. "Or addled."

"The recovery has been a lot slower in other countries," Endymion said. "People hear about the strides Japan has made and they figure it's better to suffer making the journey here than to suffer at home, because here there's hope."

"That's why I went to Korea and did what I did," Serenity said. "I'd heard about the boat refugees, though I didn't know there were this many of them!"

"And the more prosperous Japan becomes under your rule, Your Majesty," Luna added, "the more likely more and more will come here seeking some of that prosperity. Mind you, my heart does go out to unfortunates whom were left with nothing due to the ice disaster. Those who have means should endeavor to do for those who don't. But speaking practically, if this migration continues or, heaven prevent it, increases, this country will very quickly be sorely taxed to handle it all."

Endymion glanced at his wife. She remained silent, but he could tell an idea was forming in her mind.

* * *

Hanbei Satorigi had been an elementary school principal for eleven years and in those eleven years this one had to be the most stressful. Of course, the ice disaster had been stressful on everyone. But the extra work he and his staff had put in to get the school ready for fall term after the disaster had been almost as bad. On top of that, there was the problem of watching out for signs in the students and faculty of post-traumatic distress, in addition to everything else one had to look out for while trying to educate.

The latest problem had been the assault on one of the students, Ichiro Ikegami. It had been a particularly violent assault as school skirmishes went and Satorigi found it most disturbing. It was even more disturbing when he found out who Ikegami's parents were. All sorts of undesirable scenarios ran through his mind during the evening and into the next day, everything from the incident making the national news to the Japanese Defense Force, or even worse a mad-as-a-hornet Sailor Senshi, invading his school in search of the culprit.

The last scenario crept ominously closer to becoming real. Makoto Kino-Ikegami sat in his office across from his desk. As an administrator, he was used to dealing with irate parents. A few were even as large as Makoto. None of them were able to throw bolts of lightning.

"I do apologize for allowing the incident to happen," Satorigi said, his black horn-rim glasses weighing heavy on his gaunt, tanned face. "We try to maintain a safe environment and enforce a strict code of discipline. Unfortunately there are some children who are very dedicated and very ingenious about breaking the rules."

"I went to school myself," Makoto replied, trying to remain in control of her budding anger. "You don't have to tell me about fights. I want to know what you're going to do about the child who beat up my son. Do you know he was defending another student?"

"Yes, I talked to your son about the incident yesterday," Satorigi nodded. "He was very forthcoming about why the incident took place. What he did was very praiseworthy, particularly for a seven year old."

"Yes it was," Makoto said, slightly mollified by the compliment. "What about the other boy?"

"Well, that's a problem," Satorigi said cautiously.

"Why?" Makoto asked, her anger rising again.

"Well," Satorigi scowled, "we haven't determined who did it yet."

"What?" gasped Makoto. "Don't you have witnesses or video or something?"

"I'm afraid not," Satorigi responded. "Surveillance would be nice, but way beyond our budget. We're going to have to depend on your son's testimony here."

"Great," muttered Makoto. "Ichiro says he doesn't know the boy."

"I think he does," Satorigi informed her. Makoto looked at him, stunned. "Your son refused to identify the boy who assaulted him. I asked him several times. So did the teacher who found him in the hall, bleeding. But he refused to name the boy."

"He told me he doesn't know him," Makoto mumbled, still in shock. "The girl. The one he was defending. Did you ask her?"

"Ah, Sakata-Chan," Satorigi nodded. "She wouldn't name him either, but I believe for a different reason. She's terrified of this mystery boy. We offered to protect her. Told her that identifying the attacker was her duty to the school and to your son. But she's afraid." He leaned forward. "Not like your son. I don't know why he's holding back. He's afraid of something, but I don't think it's of his attacker."

Makoto didn't respond. She was too busy trying to puzzle out why Ichiro wouldn't name his assailant.

"Has he told you or your husband?" Satorigi asked. Makoto absently shook her head. "Well we'll continue to investigate. I don't intend to let this matter just fade away. This was a very violent attack and if it isn't stopped it could happen again. But if you can get your son to tell you who did this, we would appreciate you letting us know."

"Yeah," Makoto said. Robotically she got up when the Principal did.

"Oh, and Mrs. Ikegami," Satorigi added anxiously. "There - - isn't any need to involve the crown or the military in this matter. Publicity could do more harm than good to the situation. I hope you agree."

* * *

Emergency sirens wailed in the distance. In the immediate area, people scurried around frantically seeking assistance or trying to assist others. Streets were still flooded. Buildings were damaged or collapsed. Some of the victims just sat and waited to die.

Just months after emerging from two years of being frozen in ice, just six weeks after being struck by a Pacific Ocean monster known as Typhoon Soudelor that further crippled their land, and in the midst of the arduous task of retrieving the dead and rebuilding their society, the people of Taiwan were struck again by Super Typhoon DuJuan. The massive rain and whipping winds had undone much of what had been rebuilt and rebuilt again over the past few months. For some it was just too much. Why continue to struggle? And those in the northern coastal city of Shihmen hadn't been hit the worst. Imagine what the people in the interior were going through. If the gods were that angry with them, what point was there to go on?

One such woman huddled against a building, on the verge of a breakdown. Her tears were all cried out. Now she just sat. But after a bit, excited voices from all around her brought her out of her cocoon of despair. She looked up, drawn by the exclamations to focus there.

Easing toward Earth in a bubble of silver energy was a goddess with a pristine white gown and golden hair. Beside her in the bubble was a black cat, perhaps her animal avatar. The young woman was confused at first. Was this some god to rescue them from their fate, or one seeking to finally condemn them? For she had to be a god. People didn't levitate.

And then she heard one of the other on-lookers say "Serenity."

"Well Mother Nature certainly did these poor people no favors, Your Majesty," Luna commented as the bubble set down on a dry patch and dissipated.

"One of these days I'm going to get you to stop calling me that," fussed Serenity.

"One of these days you're going to stop drooling in your sleep, too," Luna shot back, "but we BOTH know that it's a long time coming." She didn't see the Queen stick out her tongue at her. She did see the Queen put her hand to her temple as a wave of fatigue and discomfort swept over her.

"Your Majesty, perhaps you should rest a bit first before undertaking your intended plans," the cat advised. Before she could respond, several locals approached.

["You are Serenity, are you not?"] one of the Taiwanese townspeople asked as everyone in the area who wasn't searching for survivors edged closer to her.

"What? Oh, darn it, I forgot!" Serenity scowled. She snapped her fingers, then in perfect Chinese said, "I'm Serenity. I've come to help."

Instantly many in the crowd began bowing to her. Ignoring the tributes, Serenity closed her eyes and raised her hands. The Silver Crystal emerged from her chest.

"I know how much you wish to help these people, Your Majesty," Luna cautioned again, "but mind that you don't try to do too much too soon."

"Yes, Luna," Serenity said in a way that made Luna immediately suspect that the Queen chose to ignore her advice.

The Silver Crystal began to glow brilliantly. The crowd watching her shielded their eyes. Some began to back away. Even Luna had to look away as the crystal began to glow like a miniature star. Then it pulsed. Rings of energy shot out in all directions. Everyone felt it, though the energy seemed to pass through them.

It took a moment for everyone to realize it. When they did notice that the water flooding the streets, the debris from the damaged trees and buildings, the overturned and wrecked cars and all the other signs of the Super Typhoon were gone, a gasp of utter amazement went up. Luna smiled to herself, recalling how the people of Japan had reacted to witnessing Serenity's first miracle.

Then the jewel pulsed again. Warned now, everyone looked around. In an instant, utility lines were repaired; streets were smooth and unbroken; buildings that housed vital businesses were like new. While Shinmen wasn't exactly the way it was before June of 2013, it was a lot better off than it had been yesterday. Everyone was stunned into silence. They looked at Queen Serenity as the Silver Crystal returned to her.

At once, they let out a joyous cheer, wails of gratitude mixed in. But just as suddenly the cheers died when Serenity collapsed before them, sinking to a sitting position and curled up into herself, her forehead and right hand braced against the knee of her bent right leg.

"One of these days you're going to listen to me, Your Majesty!" fumed the black cat, ignoring the gasps of surprise from the others at seeing a talking cat. Then her fury melted into concern. "Your Majesty, you don't look at all well."

"Just," Serenity panted heavily, "just give me a minute."

"Pardon me!" Luna shouted to the crowd, in Japanese. "Is there a doctor about? A DOCTOR!" All she got were blank looks. "Oh, dash it all!"

"Luna, I'm going to throw up!" Serenity whimpered.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" the cat hissed. "Why you insisted on bringing me instead of one of the other senshi is beyond my comprehension!"

"Well, Rei-Chan was gone, and Ami-Chan was working on the robot," Serenity gasped out with a shaky voice, "and Mina-Chan was studying her script and Mako-Chan had to tend to Ichiro. . ."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I don't need their itinerary!" Luna grumbled.

Pushing through the crowd, one of the medics treating typhoon victims, of which there were no longer any to treat, came up to Serenity. He knelt down beside her and began checking her pulse.

"Are you a doctor?" Serenity whimpered. "I don't feel so good."

After a quick examination, the medic stood up and shouted something to another member of his crew that Luna couldn't make out, since she didn't speak Chinese. Within moments, a small oxygen bottle and mask were hurried up, along with a medic kit by one of the medic's partners. As the partner put the oxygen mask over Serenity's nose and mouth, the medic gave her an injection. Then he told her something in Chinese.

"What is he saying?" Luna prodded.

"That I'm supposed to sit here and rest," Serenity replied through the mask, "and if I don't feel better, they'll take me to a hospital."

"I think that's EXCELLENT advice, Your Majesty," Luna advised her.

"I do, too," Serenity agreed. Luna noticed that her eyes still didn't seem to focus properly.

* * *

Artemis was engaged in one of his favorite pastimes, namely sleeping on the counter top in Minako's quarters between the kitchen and the dining room. As Minako was locked in her bedroom pouring over the script for the Sailor Moon film she was starring in, the room was blissfully quiet. Even though Artemis had long since learned to shut Minako out when he slept unless she was being particularly boisterous, peace and quiet was always preferable. The cat was curled up on top of his laptop, primarily because it was often warmer than the counter top.

A repeated electronic beep roused the cat from his slumber. His alerted senses scanned the room until he realized that the beep was coming from his laptop. Raising the cover, he immediately recognized the alarm. Typing furiously, he called up files in his laptop's memory. Not liking what he saw, the white cat began taking counter-measures. After several very tense minutes, he achieved results that were to his liking. Leaving his computer to complete its programmed task, Artemis activated his Senshi Communicator.

"Yes, Artemis?" Ami replied.

"Sorry if I woke you, Ami," the cat offered.

"It's three in the afternoon, Artemis," Ami told him. "I'm not usually asleep at this hour of the day."

"Sorry. I'm still on cat time. My laptop just got hacked by an outside source. I ran a check and it looks like the palace systems have been hacked as well. Communications and databases are all compromised."

"Gracious! That's terrible!"

"The systems are all backed up, so we won't lose anything except what someone might have been working on at the moment," Artemis concluded. "The annoying thing is it'll take a while to bring everything back on line. Maybe you better check your computer."

"My senshi computer isn't as vulnerable as normal computer systems," Ami said, producing her henshin stick. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check." After transforming, Sailor Mercury summoned her senshi computer and ran a diagnostic. "Do you know if it was a non-specific malicious hack or were they looking for something in particular?"

"I'm checking that now," Artemis related. "Mercury, all the specifics of the Daiyaku Project are gone! Erased!"

"Interesting," Mercury replied. "Gracious, it was even able to penetrate to my senshi computer! It must have come in through an open ethernet connection to the palace security computers! Fortunately my firewall kept it from attacking any of the files stored on it."

"Well whoever did this is in for a surprise," Artemis stated as he typed. "I was able to back hack the hack. It'll give me at the very least a lead to where the hack originated from." As the cat typed, his lips pulled back and his fangs began to show. "Oh, this guy thinks he's slick. Well I don't care how many proxys you use, you're not getting away from me!"

"Even if you don't succeed in tracing the person responsible for this, it's fairly obvious where we should start investigating," Mercury said. "If the malicious systems crash was just a cover to destroy the Daiyaku Project specs, the first place to start looking is Akaruimirai Corporation. The logical hypothesis is that someone either at Akaruimirai or a competitor is trying to destroy evidence in order to cover malicious intent."

"I was thinking the same thing," Artemis replied as he typed, "though I would have said it a little more concisely. Akaruimirai was very protective of the specs for this project. Maybe they're doing more than just protecting their intellectual property."

"Artemis, I'm going to tie into your computer," Mercury told him. "If I can follow the same path as your back hack, I might be able to gain access to their database and perhaps learn something pertinent to this matter."

"Go ahead," Artemis said. "I've nailed down the origin of the hack. We might as well nose around, since they were rude enough to intrude in the first place."

"These files seem interesting," murmured Mercury. Artemis listened over the communicator as she worked. "Oh my!" gasped Mercury suddenly. Artemis turned and stared at the communicator, hearing the alarm in Mercury's voice. "I recognize these files!"

Continued in Chapter 4


	4. Viluy's Legacy

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 4: Viluy's Legacy  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

"Oh my!" gasped Mercury suddenly. Artemis turned and stared at the communicator, hearing the alarm in Mercury's voice. "I recognize these files!"

"You do? From where?" Artemis asked, his own computer searching the files of a computer which had just hacked and began a malicious disruption of the Crystal Palace computer systems.

"They were part of the artificial intelligence schematics for the malicious androids Yui Bidou built in the alternate time line in which she devastated the human population of Earth!"

"Viluy?" gasped Artemis. "How did someone at Akaruimirai gain access to Viluy's work?" Artemis got an upsetting thought. "You don't suppose she's somehow involved in the Akaruimirai Corporation, do you?"

"That's a conclusion unsubstantiated by any known or reasoned fact, Artemis," Mercury cautioned him. "The proper method is to obtain facts and then assemble them to determine a conclusion, not arrive at a conclusion and then assemble facts to support it. Besides, Yui traveled through the Door Of Time into the future. She told me that herself." Artemis could see her mouth thin over the communicator. "But this certainly bears immediate and thorough investigation. If I remember correctly, you said you'd determined the computer from which the hack originated?"

"Yes."

"We need to contact King Endymion and have him arrange for the arrest and detention of that computer's user, as well as the impounding of the device. I imagine the Tokyo police will need to become involved as well."

"I'm on it!" Artemis said and scampered out the door, his tail straight in the air. As such, he didn't see Mercury try and fail to suppress a shudder.

* * *

In a hospital emergency room in Shihmen, Taiwan, Queen Serenity lay on a hospital gurney. She wore an oxygen mask over her face and an intravenous drip was in her arm. Luna was curled up in her lap. While it was against hospital regulations for an animal to be in the emergency room, no one had been able to remove her. A protective bubble formed around the black cat whenever someone reached for her and all entreaties by the staff were met with stubborn opposition from the Queen. Finally they gave up and let Luna stay, if only to keep from stressing their patient any further.

"I wish they'd let me go," moaned the Queen. "I feel much better."

"Well enough to levitate back to Tokyo?" Luna asked, glaring doubtfully at her.

"Yes," Serenity replied half-heartedly.

"Your nose is growing," Luna scowled. Serenity's hand jumped to her face and was blocked by the mask. Realizing her nose hadn't really grown, the Queen gave the cat a petulant look.

"But Setsuko-Chan is probably home from school now!" Serenity whined. "She's going to be very worried if I'm not there!"

"She'll be even more upset if you faint and pitch into the China Sea, Your Majesty," Luna argued. "As will I. You know how much I detest water." The cat paused. "You must rest until your strength is sufficiently recouped. It's the only wise thing to do. Setsuko-Chan will just have to cope."

"But what if they need me in Tokyo?" Serenity persisted.

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have made this journey in the first place," Luna countered. "Perhaps you should have tended to the job you were elected to fulfill."

"Luna, they were suffering here," Serenity said, her voice tinged with hurt and betrayal. "I can't ignore that. Not if I've got the power to help them."

"Your Majesty," the cat sighed. "I sympathize with your noble intentions. But you can't help everyone. The Silver Crystal just isn't that strong. Perhaps one day when you're older and more experienced . . ."

"And in the mean time, I'm just supposed to turn my back?" Serenity reacted in horror. "On people in need?"

"And how much good will you do if you give of yourself until there's nothing left, Your Majesty?" Luna asked. Serenity saw some of the fear for her that the cat had peek out. "This was a warning, a warning that you're doing too much. If you fail to heed it, I fear for you. And I fear for the world should we indeed lose you."

The Queen focused on her hands. She absently bit her lip. Luna stared up at her in sympathy.

"It always happens this way," Serenity sniffed. "I'm never good enough. Even now, with all of this power, I'm still just clumsy, ditsy little Usagi deep down. People shouldn't depend on me."

"Your Majesty," Luna offered, "only you could save the world and then criticize herself for not doing it on a daily basis. You're not a failure. You just have no concept of your limits. If anything, you feel guilty for having limits. Which is of course preposterous. If you try to save ten people and only succeed in saving nine, that's a victory. Perhaps not for the tenth person, but that is an unfortunate consequence of life and of disaster. Dooming yourself trying to save the tenth person, and perhaps dooming the other nine in the process, is the failure. You must learn to see the big picture, Your Majesty. And you must stop being so harsh on yourself. Limits are part of being human."

The Queen didn't respond and Luna hoped she'd gotten through. Then the woman looked up and smiled brightly. The cat turned and saw Endymion enter the room. He came over and sat on the side of the gurney.

"What are you doing here?" she gasped happily.

"I figured you needed a ride home," Endymion smiled. "There's a private jet at the air field that will fly us back to Tokyo. Maybe you can use it on future trips, so you don't tire yourself out levitating over large bodies of water." He stroked her cheek. "So you don't scare me like that."

"Yes, Endymion," Serenity offered penitently. "When can we leave?"

He glanced at the vital sign monitors. "How about now?"

After expertly disengaging the oxygen mask and the IV, Endymion scooped his wife up in his arms. Luna leaped from her lap to his shoulder. And the three headed for the waiting car outside to take them to the air field.

* * *

Akiko and Ichiro Ikegami bounded into the front room of their living quarters in the palace. Then Akiko stopped when she noticed Ichiro had stopped and turned back to the palace security guard who transported them to school and back every morning and evening.

"Thank you for watching over us," Ichiro said, bowing to the guard. The guard smiled at the boy's manners.

"Uh, yeah, thanks," Akiko added, bowing quickly. The guard gave her a cynical smirk, then let the door close.

"Ichiro," Makoto said, poking her head out of the kitchen. "Could you wait for me in your room, please? We need to talk."

"Uh oh, somebody's in trouble," giggled Akiko. Ichiro took on the look of a condemned prisoner.

"Akiko, go do your homework," Makoto replied impatiently.

Akiko headed for her room, but paused to give a last gloating look to her brother. When Makoto entered Ichiro's room, she found him sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the floor with his one good eye. She crossed over, gently pulled out a chair from his desk and sat down across from him.

"You don't need the 'waiting for the executioner' look, Champ. You're not in trouble," Makoto assured him. "I just need to ask you a few things." She paused to gather herself. "You told me that you didn't know the boy who beat you. Is that right?"

Ichiro nodded.

"But you didn't tell the Principal that. You wouldn't identify him at all. Is that right?"

Ichiro didn't answer. Instead he began to take on the image of a trapped animal.

"Do you know who did this? Are you afraid he'll retaliate if you say something?"

"He's already beat me up," Ichiro mumbled. "It can't be any worse than it's already been."

"Did you and he have another confrontation?" Makoto asked. "Ichiro, please don't lie to me."

The boy exhaled his defeat. "This morning."

"Did he hit you again?"

"No." Ichiro saw his mother give him a doubting look. "He didn't hit me, Mom. He was too afraid."

"Of you?"

"Of you," Ichiro said. "He found out Sailor Jupiter is my mom."

"Would he have hit you if I wasn't Sailor Jupiter?" Makoto asked in confusion. Ichiro nodded. "Then we have to stop this boy. He may be afraid of you, but he'll probably start bullying the Sakata girl or someone else." She looked pointedly at her son. "You know who he is, don't you?"

Ichiro's good eye clamped shut.

"Champ, why are you protecting him?" Makoto pleaded. "If you let other people do bad things and say nothing about it, you're just allowing them to do other bad things to other people. You have to stand up for what's right. I've always taught you that."

"I don't want you attacking him!" Ichiro exclaimed. "I don't want you and the other Senshi coming into my school and attacking one of my classmates! I know what you did to those guys who took Akiko that one time! And besides, everybody already thinks I'm a freak!"

"W-Who thinks you're a freak?" Makoto asked, stunned.

"You should have seen the way he looked at me when he found out who you were," Ichiro said, tears streaming down his cheeks. "And the way Sakata-Kun stared at me when she found out. I just want to be normal, Mom! Can't we just let it go? Can't we just forgive him like Aunt Usagi says and just let it go?"

"Has," Makoto mumbled vacantly, "has this been going on for a while?"

"Nobody knew before," Ichiro responded. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"No, Champ," Makoto whispered. "I guess I should be sorry. I didn't mean for you to have to share the burden of me being a Senshi. It's bad enough you have to live with the danger, worrying whether I'm going to come home from a mission busted up. Now you have to live with this, too. I wish I could give you that normal life you want. I really do, with all my heart, because it kills me to know I'm the cause of you being sad."

"I," Ichiro began shyly, "know you didn't do it on purpose, Mom."

"I wish I could tell you it's never going to happen again," Makoto continued. "Wish I could just quit, because that would make you feel a lot better. But your Aunt Usagi needs me, and I made a promise to help her. And I'm also obligated to use the power I have to help people in need. What you have to understand is you're not a freak. And anybody who thinks you are is dumb and not worth your time. OK?"

"OK," Ichiro murmured. Makoto leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"So how about I make you a deal, Champ," Makoto proposed. "If I promise to let your Principal handle this and not go tearing through your school looking to fry this boy, no matter how much I want to - - will you tell me his name?"

Ichiro sighed.

"He has to be stopped, Ichiro," Makoto continued. "You can forgive him, but he has to be stopped."

"Hideki Irasashi," Ichiro said softly.

"You did the right thing, Champ," Makoto told him. "And maybe this will be the wake up call he needs to realize that you can't go through life bullying other people. Some people have to have the hammer dropped on them to get their attention. Believe me, I know." She brushed the black hair away from his forehead. "So, do you think a plate of brownies would help you cheer up? Just a little?"

The corners of the boy's mouth turned up. "I like your brownies, Mom."

"And I like making them for you, Champ," Makoto smiled maternally.

* * *

In an interview room at the Tokyo Police station in the Chiyoda-Ku prefecture, two veteran police detectives sat at an interview table. They were flanked on one side by the famous Sailor Mercury and on the other side by the equally famous Sailor Venus. With King Endymion out of the country, Mercury and Artemis had agreed on Venus to represent him, as she would be less of a distraction than a talking cat. All four were staring across the table at Dr. Yogen Heiwajima and an attorney provided by the Akaruimirai Corporation. The attorney was trying to calm, or at least silence, his client. His client was a study in mixed signals, as observed by the dissecting eye of Sailor Mercury. Incensed, righteously angry and defensive, which were to be expected when confronted by charges of hacking and industrial sabotage, and at the same time Mercury seemed to detect cues that he was uncomfortable and not disclosing the full story.

". . . idea that I would launch some sort of cyber-attack on the palace is beyond description!" fumed Heiwajima. His hand nervously smoothed back his thick brown hair until he noticed Mercury watching him. He stopped immediately.

"The origin of the hack was traced back to your work computer, Doctor," related Inspector Yakata, a seven year veteran and a three year detective. He was in his early thirties and calm, but gave the impression that he could push back if pushed.

"Anyone could have used that computer," Heiwajima replied. "I don't work at the lab around the clock. I have a daughter to take care of."

"Doesn't your computer have security locks?" Detective Moronaka, in his sixth year on the force and a detective for two. He tried to emulate his partner, but was less calm and less imposing. "Restricted access?"

"Anyone smart enough to hack the Palace computer system is smart enough to defeat a computer's security password system," Heiwajima snorted.

"Not everyone has a grudge against the Palace," Yakata observed. "You were pretty hot when the Palace confiscated your robotics project."

"I still am," Heiwajima said.

"Don't say anything more, Heiwajima-San," the attorney advised.

"Why not? I didn't do it."

"Doctor Heiwajima," Mercury said in a voice devoid of judgment and suspicion, "are you familiar with the work of Yui Bidou?"

"Why do you ask?" Heiwajima asked suspiciously.

"Are you?"

"Yes," he said finally. "In spite of her proclivity for anti-social behavior, she was quite far ahead of her time."

"You've seen her work?"

"Is it against the law?"

"No," Mercury replied. "I'm just curious, as I'm not familiar with specifics of her work in cybernetics and nano-bot technology ever being published, either in print or on the web. How did you see it?"

Heiwajima frowned. "You're going to make a big deal out of it. My assistant, Devlin, knew a man who was a teaching assistant at Infinity Academy. He knew of Devlin's interest in cybernetics. One evening Devlin showed me a paper outlining theories in cybernetics, microscopic circuitry, artificial intelligence - - it was brilliant. I actually grew excited reading it. It stimulated so many new ideas in me."

Heiwajima smiled nostalgically.

"And then he told me the person who wrote it was only fifteen at the time. I was incredulous. I asked him who it was and could I meet her? He said no. When he told me her name I knew why - - Yui Bidou." Heiwajima darkened. "The same Yui Bidou that had been running around in a blue and white costume years ago, trying to destroy Tokyo and fighting you."

"I remember," Mercury replied.

"Well obviously she had," Heiwajima continued, "issues. But it didn't change the fact that her work had been revolutionary. Scientific discovery is a benefit to humanity. The fact that it was discovered by a deranged sociopath doesn't change that." Heiwajima hardened. "I admit, I used her theories as a foundation for my own work, carrying it through to the same conclusion she could have arrived at."

"That doesn't mean that he's a terrorist, a cyber-criminal or a future threat to humanity," his attorney added.

"So why did your robot go berserk and begin attacking people?" Venus asked. "Like me, for example!"

"I don't know!" Heiwajima exclaimed. "It wasn't supposed to do that! It was supposed to be a help to humanity!"

"Or maybe you copied Viluy a little too closely," Venus countered, "you created a monster and then you hacked into the Palace systems to erase the evidence of it."

"No! That's not how it was!" shouted Heiwajima. "You're just trying to trump up a charge against me so you can throw me in jail and steal my work!"

"That's enough, Heiwajima-San!" the attorney interjected forcefully. He turned to the police. "We're done here. Charge him or we walk."

"I think he'll be staying," Yakata replied. "We still have thirty-six hours until we have to charge him. In the mean time, our forensics lab is searching the computer. If they find something else, we'll have another chat about it."

Yakata motioned for a police officer, who took Dr. Heiwajima back to his cell.

"So, Mercury," Venus asked her as they got up to leave. "Think he's our boy?"

"Insufficient data as yet," Mercury replied distantly. "But his behavior is suggesting some interesting possibilities."

Continued in Chapter 5


	5. In Defense Of

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 5: In Defense Of  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

Sanjuro Ikegami rolled over onto his other side and almost drifted back to sleep. It took a moment, but his sleep-clouded brain finally noticed that his wife, Makoto, was laying on her back. Makoto never slept on her back. But she brooded on her back.

"Babe?" he inquired. Makoto glanced at him. He couldn't see her features in the dark, but a premonition spurred by the experience of having lived with that person for thirteen - - no, fifteen, there was the ice gap - - years and seeing her moods told him volumes. "Something got you upset?"

Makoto sighed. That was another sign. Awake now, Sanjuro reached up and rubbed her arm.

"I'm an embarrassment to Ichiro," Makoto whispered.

"He told you this?"

"Having me as a mother means he's not 'normal'," Makoto said. "Being a senshi has never been easy, but I could take the physical pounding. This - - what do you do for something like this? I took an oath to guard Serenity, but don't I owe more to my own son? If this is stressing him out . . ."

"Babe, the boy's seven," Sanjuro sighed. "He'll get over it."

"Will he? He's always hated it when I go on missions."

"Because he's afraid he might lose you," Sanjuro assured her. "That's different from being embarrassed." The gigantic man shifted in bed, causing Makoto to rock with him. "Maybe I'm not as smart as Ami is, but I think I know a little. There's two kinds of people: people who want to be in the spotlight and people who want to blend into the crowd. Akiko's the first kind. She loves attention and actually shines more brightly when everyone is looking at her. Ichiro," and he paused, "he wants to blend in, be a face in the crowd because the anonymity makes him feel more secure."

"And being the son of Sailor Jupiter ruins that," Makoto concluded.

"But like I said, he's seven," Sanjuro continued. "And he has time to learn that you can't hide in the crowd forever. Sometimes you have to risk calling attention to yourself to achieve something you want or to do something that needs to be done. Just like Akiko has time to learn that you can't be the center of attention all the time."

"But if I'm the cause of . . ." Makoto began. Sanjuro reached over and put a finger across her lips.

"You don't have to quit," he told her. "I think in the long run he'd feel pretty guilty about that, especially if something happened to Serenity or one of the other Senshi. And I think he's already learning it. He could have stayed safe in the background and not stood up to that bully. He didn't. He stood up for what was right, even thought it meant losing his safe cloak of invisibility as well as the physical pain. That's why I think he'll come around."

"You're so sure," Makoto whispered.

"You watch and see," Sanjuro persisted. "I trust him to come around. And he hasn't let me down yet."

Almost in surrender, Makoto shifted onto her side so she was facing her husband. Her hand reached up and tenderly stroked his face. Sanjuro captured it and kissed the palm.

* * *

In the main research lab at Akaruimirai, Nick Devlin was working on a company computer. So intent was he that he didn't notice the company CEO, Arnold Beliveau, enter. Beliveau was behind him and looking at the screen before Devlin acknowledged him. The man stopped and turned to his superior curiously.

"What's that you're doing?" Beliveau asked.

"This?" Devlin responded. "I'm trying to modify the outer housing on the Daiyaku One. It's too bulky now. That hinders maneuverability. A sleeker, smaller design gives it a smaller radius in which to work or turn. It can get into smaller places. And a smaller design reduces the weight, reducing the risk of the unit caving in an excavation site or falling through a compromised floor or ledge."

"That design looks," Beliveau began, scrutinizing the schematic on the screen, "almost humanoid."

"It is," Devlin nodded. "Unfortunately making the design more humanoid reduces the unit's strength and resistance to damage." He smirked ruefully. "It's sort of the same design flaw humans have."

"Still, this is a very promising direction," Beliveau responded, almost mesmerized by the schematic. "And it opens up an avenue of possibilities for the project that I'd hoped would come about. With the proper research and some innovative thinking, we might be able to use this to take a giant leap forward in the area of prosthetics."

"Sir?"

"Imagine the market for cybernetically controlled, fully articulate prosthetic limbs," Beliveau said almost absently. "The lame could walk. The blind could see. Quadriplegics could move." He smiled. "The old could be young again."

Devlin didn't respond, but he didn't seem to share Beliveau's vision.

"Completely prosthetic bodies - - a human brain transplanted from a body withered by age or disease into a prosthetic body, in cybernetic control of it," Beliveau said. "It's a long way off yet, I'm sure. But if you can perfect that design you're working on, it could be the first step into an entirely different future."

"It's mostly Dr. Heiwajima's work," Devlin demurred. "I'm just refining it. And I'm not sure that's what Dr. Heiwajima was trying to develop."

"Well this project may no longer be in Dr. Heiwajima's hands," Beliveau stated. "He's currently under arrest and charged with cyber-sabotage and destruction of evidence."

"They charged him?" Devlin asked in astonishment.

"He's currently in detention at the prefecture police station. I talked with the attorney I hired to defend him. The attorney is confident he can defend Dr. Heiwajima against the charges, but I've learned that it's best to prepare for all eventualities."

"I can't believe it," Devlin said softly. "What about the project? Is the government going to let us continue?"

"You just keep working on that design," Beliveau advised him. "With Dr. Heiwajima no longer available, and for who knows how long, you're now the lead researcher."

"But what if the government seizes the project? What if they forbid further research on it in the name of 'public safety' or something like that? All of that research, all of that study, all the potential would be down the drain."

"Just keep working," Beliveau said. "I'll handle the government."

* * *

Dr. Ami Fujihara walked into the Royal Chambers of the Crystal Palace, pausing at the door first to see if it was all right to intrude. Endymion waved her in. He was standing beside the bed where Serenity lay in typical ill-humor. Perched on an antique dresser - - a gift from the German government - - was Luna, watching the Queen with a baleful eye.

"I don't mean to intrude," Ami told them. "I just wanted to check on how Serenity was doing."

"How long do I have to be here, Ami-Chan?" whined the Queen. "I can't lay around in bed all day! I have things to do!"

"Odd. There was a time once when we couldn't pry you out of bed," Luna remarked acidly. "I believe it was yesterday morning."

"I'm five seconds away from making a royal decree that cats aren't allowed to talk," Serenity shot back. "My deadlines are going to be murder! And I have to get ready for when Setsuko-Chan gets home from school! Plus I probably have some sort of queen-stuff to do."

"I can handle the queen-stuff," Endymion advised her.

"Well I'd prefer you be out of that bed, too," Ami said and Serenity's spirits rose, "and in a hospital bed." The Queen sank back, dejected. "This is two incidents now where you did too much and over-taxed your system. That can't be good for your long-term health."

"Ami-Chan," Serenity groaned, "I heard all of this from Luna," and she glared at the cat again, "the WHOLE TRIP BACK!" The black cat was unmoved. "I'll try to be more careful next time! I promise!"

"Serenity, twice isn't an isolated instance," Ami replied. "This is a sign that you're doing more than your body is physically capable of sustaining."

"I only rebuilt all of the businesses," muttered the Queen.

"And repaired the roads," Luna added. "And the phone lines, and the cell towers, gas and water lines, electricity and other utilities and infrastructure."

"I did?" Serenity said. The cat gave her an exasperated look.

"And over the entire land mass of Taiwan," Endymion added. "And you'd done the same for Korea just days before."

"But I grew food and replaced houses over the entire world just a few months ago!" Serenity howled. "Why is this giving me trouble now?"

Everyone looked at Luna. The cat was stuck for an answer.

"Perhaps it was due to an initial burst of energy from the Silver Crystal?" suggested Ami. "Or perhaps you have a longer renewal time for the Crystal's energy than you thought? I admit, I'm not an expert on the operation of the Silver Crystal."

"That's the problem. Neither am I," muttered Serenity. "But I'm the one who has to use it."

Ami leaned down to check the woman's pulse. "Well, my suggestion would be to refrain from using the Crystal for longer periods of time, in case it's a matter of energy renewal. And refrain from restoring larger land masses, such as Russia, China or Australia."

"There goes my weekend," Serenity quipped. She noticed the glares. "Kidding!"

"No you weren't," Luna sighed.

"And I think you should stay in bed for at least one more day," Ami told her. "If you want to prop your sketch pad up on your legs so you can lay out the rest of 'Fire Princess Rika', that's fine."

"I understand the police jailed Dr. Heiwajima for the hack on the palace computers," Endymion probed. "And that he was using technological concepts pioneered by Viluy?"

"Yes," Ami reported. "From what Artemis and I've been able to go over of the schematics we downloaded from his computer, Dr. Heiwajima has taken Yui's theories several steps up the progressive ladder."

"Wait, Viluy?" Serenity gasped. "Like those awful androids she made that one time, when she replaced you with a double?"

"Actually," Ami grew serious, "given some of the theoretical extrapolations Artemis and I made, this Daiyaku One project is the technological ancestor to the androids Yui makes in the future she lands in. The core tech is the same. Undoubtedly she continues Dr. Heiwajima's invention to its logical conclusion in the future."

"Then I'm shutting it down," Endymion said flatly.

"No, you can't!" Ami exclaimed with surprising agitation.

"Ami-Chan," Serenity began in confusion, "those - - things - - were going to take over the world! Kill everyone! Ami-Chan, she had one that looked just like you and it - - it was - - oh, it's too awful to even think about!"

"I would think you of all people would want to stop Viluy from perverting technology for her own ends," Endymion added.

"The last thing I want is for Yui to succeed at one of her vicious, counter-logical schemes," Ami said. "But Yui is just one of a long list of humans who have perverted scientific discovery to his or her own ends. The answer to that problem isn't, and can never be, condemning the discovery itself! Scientific progress in and of itself isn't evil! Whatever adds to humanity's knowledge is a good thing and must not be feared! People have been misusing discovery since fire itself was discovered. Should we condemn fire and never use it again? Should we condemn the wheel because it was used to propel tanks, or gunpowder because it was used to propel bullets? Humanity is what needs to be changed!"

"Ami-Chan," Serenity whispered in awe.

"And you can't stop this project, either!" Ami argued. "Malicious androids are only one possibility for this technology. There are other possible uses, such as what Dr. Heiwajima intended. And there's cybernetic remote control of mechanical devices, or communication over long distances through mere thought, or-or prosthetic replacement parts to help the handicapped live full lives again! Regulate it, yes! Regulate the people who make it and the people who use it to try to avoid misuse! But don't destroy it or run from it out of fear or ignorance!"

Everyone stared at her, amazed by Ami's vehemence. The doctor began to shrink back into herself.

"I apologize for my," she mumbled, "exuberance."

"Your input is always appreciated, Ami," Endymion replied gently. "I'll contact the Ministry of Justice and some of the Diet's regulatory committee and see if we can hammer out a regulatory agenda for this admittedly new area of business. Maybe it will even get Akaruimirai's attorneys off my back."

Ami felt Serenity's hand grasp hers. She looked down at the Queen.

"Ami-Chan, I didn't know you felt this strongly," Serenity said.

"I do," Ami nodded. "Ignorance is a terrible thing, Serenity. The last think we must do as leaders is encourage it."

"Well, we'll try to accommodate you," the Queen assured her. Then her face hardened. "But NO androids. I won't have it. I'm sorry."

Ami couldn't, or didn't, hide her disappointment.

* * *

In the offices of the Diet, the administrative assistant for Diet member Jinro Takahashi ushered a visitor into Takahashi's office. Takahashi rose to greet him, for the visitor was Arnold Beliveau of the Akaruimirai Corporation. As he gestured the man to a seat across from his, Takahashi mentally sized the man up: sixty and distinguished, with graying hair and a build that seemed large due to attention to health rather than inattention. Being Belgian probably didn't hurt, either. Takahashi knew why the man was here. The palace had contacted the Diet about regulating cybernetic devices, which was Akaruimirai's latest breakthrough and potential cash cow.

"I'm honored that you came to me, Beliveau-San," Takahashi told him.

"I assume that you have enough influence to get things done without being beholden to the monarchy," Beliveau replied guardedly. "Frankly the harassment of the monarchy is beginning to negatively affect my business. First the impounding of our company's intellectual property and now this regulatory business."

"I'm sure they believe, in their naive way, that they're protecting the public," Takahashi said. "And you have to admit that incident at your research facility didn't put either your project or your company in a very favorable light."

"Wish to God I knew what happened," muttered Beliveau. "Heiwajima thinks the monarchy intentionally sabotaged the project to have the excuse to seize it. I didn't pay it much thought at first, but now I'm beginning to wonder."

Takahashi shook his head. "I've met both the King and Queen several times. They're many things, not all of them favorable, but one thing I'm certain of is that they're not devious. While I wouldn't rule out industrial sabotage as the cause of that mishap, I can safely rule them out as suspects."

"Well, if you say so," Beliveau said doubtfully. "But my people will keep looking into it. Now about these regulations - - any way we can torpedo it? I don't need government interference hindering my research. I'd like to get something working within five years that can go on the market."

"The climate isn't very good for sinking regulations at this time," Takahashi informed him. "Since the idea originated with the monarchy, it's going to happen. So the key isn't to oppose regulatory oversight, but to be the one who shapes it. If done correctly, something can be produced that will satisfy the monarchy and allow you a free hand to develop your ideas into something profitable."

"You can make this happen?"

"Well, I'm personally not on the manufacturing oversight committee," Takahashi replied. "But I know some of the members. We're very like-minded. If you give me a list of things you need to get into the legislation, or to not get into the legislation, they will see that the final bill meets those conditions."

"I would be very grateful," Beliveau said.

"How grateful?"

Beliveau smiled. "Give me the names and addresses of the campaign committees connected with these members. I'm always interested in contributing to legislators who share my views on how a country should be run. And of course I won't forget you either, Takahashi-San. Keeping you in the Diet can only be in my best interest."

"In these changing times," Takahashi nodded gratefully, "it's comforting to know that some people haven't forgotten the old ways. You've adapted quite well to doing business in Japan, Beliveau-San."

After Beliveau left, though, Takahashi sat back and began to ponder. Every reason Beliveau gave for wanting a clear track for developing his project made perfect sense. So why did he think that there was an ulterior reason for Beliveau's urgency?

Continued in Chapter 6


	6. Invasion

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 6: Invasion  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

Artemis sat on the counter between the kitchen and the dining room, absorbed in the files he'd downloaded from Dr. Heiwajima's computer at Akaruimirai Corporation. Occasionally he would sip water from a cup using a straw without turning his attention away from the screen. While the artificial intelligence file he had been studying may have been lost in the cyber-attack on his computer, it didn't mean he had to be idle.

It also didn't mean he was going to get anywhere.

"Man, this is complex stuff," the white cat sighed, rolling back on his haunches. "Wish I had a degree in cybernetic engineering. That way at least I could understand the preamble to this."

He took another drag on the straw. Suddenly a shape jumped out from the doorway.

"Stop right there!" bellowed Minako, extending her hand while she projected a serious demeanor.

"GHAAAA!" Artemis exclaimed. The cat fell backwards and almost tumbled off of the counter top.

"You think you can impose damage and destruction onto billions of innocent people! They all say NO! And their strength is my power! I am SAILOR MOON! And in the name of the moon, I WILL PUNISH YOU!"

"I always wondered about your sanity," Artemis sighed.

"Never mind that!" huffed Minako. "How was the reading? Do I make a believable Sailor Moon?"

"I thought the script was about the ice disaster," Artemis wondered.

"It is."

"Sailor Moon never said that!"

"Artistic license," Minako replied, waving her hand dismissively.

"More like bad writing," Artemis muttered.

"Will you help a girl out here!" Minako roared. "Did I come across as believable?"

"Sailor Moon didn't always come across as believable," Artemis replied.

"Cat, I'm going to put my foot . . .!"

"All right, all right! Sailor Moon was pretty melodramatic in her younger days. I guess you nailed that. But it's not the way she is now. Since her ascension, she's actually got some grace and dignity - - in spite of what Luna thinks. If they're writing her this way, all they're doing is copying that old anime."

"Yeah," Minako sighed, flopping into a chair. "I brought that up with the producers. They just pat me on the head and tell me to stick to the script." She glanced at Artemis and made a face. "Producers are charming that way. So I'm trying to read this stuff, capture the Sailor Moon they want AND sneak in the Sailor Moon I worked with for twenty-three years. It ain't as easy as it looks."

"Well, if anybody can pull it off, you can," Artemis said, returning to his computer. Then he smiled sarcastically. "Oops, shouldn't have said that. That'll go right to your ego."

"Too late," smirked Minako.

Artemis smiled and returned to trying to decipher what was on his screen. Suddenly a loud smack split the quiet of the room.

"What are you doing now?" gasped the white cat.

"We're going to have to tell Endymion to call an exterminator," Minako said, a rolled up magazine in her hand. "We got bugs!"

Artemis was about to turn back to his work. Then he noticed Minako was staring at the bug.

"Hey, Fuzzy," Minako said, still staring at what she struck. "Since when do bugs give off electric sparks?"

Leaping down from the counter top, Artemis approached the broken insect on the floor. The outer shell may have looked like a cockroach, but inside was robotic circuitry. He was about to speak when a movement caught his eye. Turning to his left, his eyes grew wide.

"Looks like it brought company!" Artemis exclaimed. There were at least a dozen more crawling along the corner of the room.

* * *

Roused from her bed, Queen Serenity padded barefoot out of the Royal Chambers and into the outer quarters. But she no sooner reached the outer room then she fell back a step and clutched at her head. At first she thought her condition was making her feel ill. At that moment Luna hurriedly entered the room.

"Your Majesty! What are you doing out of bed?" demanded the black cat.

"Commotion in the hall," Serenity replied, her hand still at her temple and her forehead lined.

"It's being handled!" the cat exclaimed. "You must get your rest, Your Majesty! I don't want you fainting again!"

"It isn't that!" Serenity replied impatiently. "I'm sensing the distress everyone is feeling. Luna, what's going on?"

The cat sighed, reluctant to answer. "I fear the palace has been invaded, Your Majesty."

"By who?" Serenity gasped. She flew to the door leading out to the outer hall and flung open the door. Then she recoiled.

"More accurately 'what', Your Majesty," Luna grimaced.

"EWWWWWW!" Serenity cried out. For the hall was crawling with hundreds of roaches. When several of the bugs saw the open door, they began heading for it. With the speed of thought, Serenity slammed the door shut.

"They seem to be all over the palace," Luna informed her with a mixture of frustration and disgust.

"Where did they come from?" Serenity gasped in alarm.

"The sewers, I imagine! Where do they ever come from?" snapped Luna. "And they're particularly aggressive as well! I've heard several reports of palace staffers being bitten!"

"No!"

"If you're indeed feeling no ill effects of your recent illness," Luna suggested, "perhaps you could use the Silver Crystal to exterminate this infestation?"

"Luna!" Serenity gasped in horror. "Kill them?"

The cat looked up at her in exasperation for a moment. Then she remembered who she was talking to and relented.

"Yes, forgive me, Your Majesty," Luna shook her head. "It was foolish of me to have even broached the subject. But still, something has to be done."

Serenity pressed her back up against the door. Her body went rigid and her eyes closed as her duty grappled with her fear. Suddenly she pushed off the door and flung it open. A roach skittered across the threshold and mighty Queen Serenity jumped back several steps. Then she waved her hand and the insect was lifted off the floor by an invisible force. Immediately Serenity's hand shot to her temple again.

Cupped in the invisible force, the roach helplessly floated out into the hall ahead of the reluctant Queen. Out in the hall, she could see that the area was teeming with the insects. A decorative table had been upset and chewed. Holes had actually been carved out in the walls. The carpeting was in tatters.

As this happened, Luna glanced at the Queen. She noticed Serenity's brow was knit, as if using her power was causing her discomfort.

Using her free hand and the power of the crystal, Serenity scooped up as many roaches as she could and deposited them in the invisible receptacle. Instantly the invaders began to retreat, as their species commonly did. But gestures from Serenity lifted them all into the air. Within minutes, they were all contained in a writhing, squirming dark mass hovering before the Queen.

"So now what do I do with them?" Serenity asked Luna.

"Um, you'll," Luna began hesitantly, "have to deal with that later. There are more of the skittering little beasts all over the palace."

The crackle of electric bursts caught their attention. Levitating the captured bugs ahead of her, Serenity raced down the hall. Turning at a junction with Luna, she found Sailor Jupiter firing electric blasts at more roaches as they scurried to escape her. The hall was already littered with little brown bodies.

"Jupiter!" cried Serenity. "Don't kill them!"

"Why not?" Jupiter snapped angrily and launched another blast. "Disgusting, dirty little things! I found one in my quarters! I JUST CLEANED THOSE QUARTERS!"

"But they're living creatures," Serenity argued plaintively.

"Not really," Sailor Venus said, coming up from another hallway. "Take a closer look, Serenity."

Luna cautiously approached one of the roaches Jupiter had already assassinated. The cat peered at it suspiciously.

"Your Majesty!" Luna exclaimed. "It's mechanical!"

"Mechanical?" Serenity reacted in shock.

"Yeah, Artemis and I ran into some of the little creepy crawlies in my quarters," Venus related. "He's studying one of them now."

"Ami-Chan should look at them, too," Serenity nodded. "I hope she's all right!" And the Queen scurried down the hall to the Fujihara quarters, her senshi following her. When they reached the quarters, Sailor Mercury was stepping out.

"I assume you've all encountered this as well?" Mercury asked with a hint of annoyance. Venus peeked inside and saw hundreds of roaches frozen in ice.

"Yeah. Venus says they're mechanical," Jupiter nodded.

"Interesting. Does she have a sample for study? I'd very much like to see it up close," Mercury replied.

"Your Majesty," Luna spoke up, "the palace and staff are still being menaced by these things. Now that we've established they aren't living creatures, perhaps you could deal with the problem - - on a more permanent basis?"

"Right," Serenity replied.

She closed her eyes. Slowly her hands went up to her chest and clasped there. It was almost like she was praying. After a few moments, the roaches squirming in the levitating container dissipated into atoms and were carried away by the air flow in the hall. Jupiter and Venus looked around. All the broken bodies Jupiter had destroyed dissipated as well. Serenity slowly let her hands fall to her sides. She opened her eyes and put her hand to her temple to steady her swimming senses. Then she saw the worried looks from everyone else.

"I'm all right," she assured them. "Just a little dizzy."

"I'll take your word for it," Mercury said. "Now let's get a look at that device."

They all stopped when they noticed Serenity's faraway look. Before they could ask her about it, the Queen glided to one of the outer wall balconies. When everyone caught up with her, they could see what she was sensing.

The streets of Tokyo were in an utter panic as swarms of the mechanical insects surged through the city.

"Your Majesty?" Luna asked. She wanted to ask the Queen to make the invading automatons disappear. At the same time, Luna was fearful that asking such a huge feat of her might trigger a relapse in her weakened condition.

"I'll try," Serenity said, heedless of her own safety. She squared her shoulders and prepared to bring the Silver Crystal out of its protective warp.

"Hold on, Serenity," Mercury said, her hand gripping the Queen's wrist. "That might not be advisable, given your recent health concerns."

"But we have to do something, Mercury!" Jupiter exclaimed.

Mercury pondered a moment. "Perhaps if these robots are being controlled remotely, we can broadcast a counter-command and draw them to a confined location. There we can deal with them more easily."

"Sort of like an electronic Pied Piper?" Venus asked.

"A simplified description of the procedure, but essentially accurate," Mercury replied. She had her Senshi computer out and was crouching to pick up one of the destroyed robots. Venus leaned over to Jupiter.

"And you said my childhood was wasted," grinned Venus.

"Childhood? I thought you read that book last week," Jupiter smirked.

Placing the robot on the computer, Mercury scanned it. Nodding, she tapped in some commands.

"What you're doing seems to be working," Luna noted, peering over the railing of the balcony. "If that rapidly growing black shape heading for the palace is the robot insects, that is."

"Great," Jupiter scowled. "You bring 'em here and I'll fry 'em!"

"The frequency is correct, but my computer can't generate enough of a signal," Mercury frowned. "Assuming that this infestation encompasses the entire Tokyo metro area, my computer can't generate enough coverage. And if the outlying prefectures are affected as well, it's even worse."

"Maybe we can hook your computer into a cell tower or something," Venus offered. Then Serenity stepped forward.

"Let me," she said gently. Serenity gently grasped the computer just above Mercury's hands. She took on a silver glow.

Mercury's eyes popped when she saw the gain on her computer's broadcast signal shoot to the top of its meter. As minutes passed, the front courtyard of the Crystal Palace began to fill with the robot roaches. They kept coming and kept coming, until they were a squirming mass in the courtyard twenty-five feet high. Then gravity took over and the mass toppled over the fence around the palace and into what used to be Juuban Park. And still they came.

"Gracious, there must be millions of them!" Luna remarked in astonishment.

"Nine million, two hundred and eighty-six thousand, three hundred and eight," Mercury commented, her attention locked on her computer screen.

"Does that include the one Artemis has?" Venus quipped dryly.

"No, just the ones in the courtyard," Mercury replied, missing the tone of the comment. Jupiter smirked at Venus as the golden senshi scowled. "And that's all of them. My scans don't show anymore in the city."

"I'll just disintegrate them then," Serenity said. But Jupiter stopped her.

"You rest, Hon'," Jupiter told her. "I'll do it."

"Jupiter?"

"It'll be my pleasure." Jupiter walked up to the balcony railing and put her hands over her head. "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"

Electricity formed around her outstretched hands, then jumped down onto the writhing mass below them. When the electricity hit, it eagerly jumped from one unit to the next until the entire mound was enveloped in crackling blue-white energy. Housings exploded as circuitry overloaded and burned. Moments later all that was left was a blackened, smoldering pile of melted silicon and aluminum-manganese alloy housings. Jupiter looked over her work for a moment, then turned and headed back inside.

"Hate those things!" she muttered.

* * *

"Pretty sophisticated job of miniaturization," Artemis commented. He and Mercury were examining scans of the robotic roach sample. Luna, Minako and Serenity watched them work.

"Familiar, too," Mercury observed.

"More of Viluy's work?" Minako asked.

"The actual construction is different," Mercury said, typing on her computer. A schematic of another device came up on the screen. "But the core concepts are the same. This is another example of someone taking Yui's initial designs and extrapolating from them to create something else. This schematic pictured is a scan I made of Yui's nanobot tech after our confrontation at Infinity Academy. I admit that I'm not as versed in robotics and cybernetics as Yui is, but I recognize the same core technology."

"So whoever's doing this might have nanobot tech, too?" Artemis asked.

"Inconclusive, but the possibility exists."

"But I thought Dr. Heiwajima was in jail," Serenity said.

"Perhaps he's found a means to strike from incarceration," Luna suggested.

"Or he's got a partner," Artemis added.

"Or he didn't do it," Minako added.

"I was considering those possibilities myself," Mercury related. "Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a fix on where the remote commands were being broadcast from. I also took Artemis's analysis of the robot's construction and checked who in this area might possess such material in sufficient quantities to produce so many robots."

"And one of them was Akaruimirai," Minako smirked.

"Yes, but they're not the only one. The elements are common to several large computer manufacturing concerns, as well as some heavy industries. Nothing to conclusively point to them."

"But a good place to start," Minako nodded. "Fuzzy, any chance you could bust into Akaruimirai's computers and nose around for something incriminating?"

"Any chance you'll stop doubting my abilities?" Artemis shot back.

"Your Majesty," Luna began. "I believe His Majesty has been negotiating with the CEO of Akaruimirai over the restrictions on their Daiyaku Project. Perhaps you and he could schedule a meeting with this man."

"I suppose I could," Serenity said. "But why would I have to be there?"

"To take the measure of this man, if nothing else," the black cat suggested. "Perhaps, with the aid of the Crystal, you could gain some sort of psychic impression of him. You may sense him to be honest. You may also sense that he's hiding something." Luna grinned. "You may even sense what."

"If you think it'll help," Serenity replied doubtfully.

"Well," Minako said, "with Rei out of the picture, you're our best bet in that area. I say go for it."

Serenity swallowed.

Continued in Chapter 7


	7. Something To Believe In

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 7: Something To Believe In  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

A limousine was waiting in the front courtyard of the Crystal Palace for the King and Queen to emerge. It was a more common sight than what had been in the courtyard a few hours earlier, that being thousands of squirming robot cockroaches. But that problem had been dealt with and operations around the palace were getting back to normal.

The door to the palace opened and King Endymion emerged, wearing his standard gray tuxedo. He turned and held the door for his wife, Queen Serenity, as he led her out by the hand. Serenity wore her usual white shoulder-less gown. A Palace security officer emerged from the limousine and opened the rear door to allow the Royal couple access. Endymion was about to help his wife in.

"Stop! Come back here!" came a sharp cry.

Endymion looked up, searching for trouble. His eyes locked on a young girl running toward the limousine. Serenity looked as well. Endymion was about to draw a rose from his jacket, for any potential threat to Serenity would be swiftly dealt with no matter the attacker's age. But Serenity was already around the car and bending to meet the girl. She was five and had silken shoulder length black hair. Then, fortunately for everyone, Endymion recognized the girl.

"Queen Serenity, please!" the girl cried. She stopped where Serenity was squatting and the Queen gently took her hands.

"You're the daughter of Dr. Heiwajima, aren't you?" Serenity inquired. "What was your name?"

"Madoko, ma'am," the girl replied. Serenity could see she was on the verge of tears. "I've been waiting at the gate, trying to see you! You have to let my Dad go! He didn't do anything!"

"How long have you been waiting?" Serenity asked, wiping a smudge from the child's face with her thumb. The girl shrugged. "Is anyone taking care of you while your dad is away?"

"Auntie," Madoko mumbled. "Please let my Dad go, Queen Serenity! He didn't do anything! He didn't!"

Helpless for an answer, Serenity looked up and silently appealed to her husband.

"I'm sorry," Endymion replied softly. "Until we can find evidence to clear him, Dr. Heiwajima has to be held. It's a matter of public safety as well as the safety of the palace."

Madoko's face twisted up and the girl began crying. Immediately Serenity pulled the child to her breast.

"Please don't cry, Madoko-Chan!" Serenity whimpered. "We'll find the evidence to clear your father! I promise we will! And the moment we do, I'll bring him back to you! I promise!"

As his wife continued to console the heartbroken child, Endymion looked on and wondered: What if Dr. Heiwajima was guilty? How would his kind and generous wife fulfill her promise then?

Finally Endymion waved over one of the security guards and instructed him to gently and respectfully escort Madoko back to her aunt's home. Then he touched Serenity's shoulder and eased her away from the child. He guided her into the limousine and they headed for their meeting with Arnold Beliveau.

"Isn't there a way we could . . .?" Serenity began.

"Not until we know he isn't a threat," Endymion maintained.

"But the attack today," Serenity argued. "He couldn't have been behind it! Not if he's in custody!"

"Do we know that? He's a master of cybernetic theory. Who says he couldn't control them from jail," Endymion told her. "Or who's to say he doesn't have confederates working with him? We have to be sure, to stop the attacks. Today's attack injured scores of people all over Tokyo. I know you want to believe him, for her sake. But your faith in him could endanger others and that's not fair to them."

Serenity looked down, crestfallen. Endymion reached over and grasped her hand.

"Leading isn't easy, is it?" he said. Serenity glanced up at him with misty sympathy. "Maybe you can sense something from Beliveau-San today that will turn the tide of this and allow you to help Madoko Heiwajima and the citizens of Tokyo."

* * *

Ichiro Ikegami walked with a sense of crushing helplessness to the limousine that would drive him and his sister home from school. The driver, a member of Palace Security, surveyed the area for signs of danger as the boy approached. Ichiro appreciated his presence, for stories of his sister's abduction a few years ago, told and retold with pride and reverence by his sister, lingered in the back of his mind and worried him.

But the security guard and the limousine were two more things that set him apart from the other kids at the school. Word had gotten out about who he was and more importantly who his mother was. Never much of a joiner, Ichiro had avoided the other kids. But he'd seen the looks and he'd heard the whispers and it brought up familiar feelings about being different and isolated. When he reached the limo, the driver bowed to him.

"Ready to go, Ikegami-San?" the driver asked. Yes, better to get home and to familiar surroundings. And maybe he could look up Setsuko-Chan and they could play some video games. Setsuko made him feel comfortable. Inside the car, Akiko was waiting for him.

"'Bout time you got here," she jabbed. "So what happened when the bugs invaded your class? All the girls in my class freaked! Some of the boys freaked, too! Hotoro-Kun even got bit!"

"Is he all right?" Ichiro asked anxiously.

"He's got a pretty bad welt on his arm where it bit him," Akiko shrugged. Then she grinned. "It didn't have a chance to get him too bad because I knocked it off with my binder. Then Kenichi-Kun and Tsuyoshi-Kun and I got push brooms and shoved them all back against the wall. Then they just ran off. Sensei said we were heroes." She nudged him. "Just like Mom, huh? So what happened in your class?"

Ichiro sighed. "Everybody was screaming and running. Sensei tried to keep everybody calm. There were bugs on several of the girls, so I took off my jacket and swiped them off, and then I stomped on them. And some of the others started stomping on them, too."

"They crunch real loud when you do that, don't they!" chuckled Akiko. "What did your sensei say to you?"

"Nothing," Ichiro shrugged. "She was too busy trying to get the other kids calmed down. I guess she didn't have time."

"Well that's no fair!" grumbled Akiko. Ichiro shrugged again. He actually didn't mind the anonymity. "Well you handled things just like Mom and Dad would have done. Good job, Ichiro. It shows that even a little pest like you can be a hero."

"You're the pest," Ichiro shot back. Akiko chucked her shoulder into him and the boy responded in kind.

* * *

"And how are you progressing with your 'borderline illicit' activities, Artemis?" Luna asked, walking with her tail in the air into the quarters Artemis shared with Minako. "Their Majesties will want a status update."

"Is something illicit if the government does it?" Artemis asked as he studied his screen. "After all, they make the rules."

"There are rules made by governments and rules made to keep governments from abusing power," Luna corrected him, as usual. "As well as rules of common sense social manners and deportment. And it's even more vital for large bodies of power such as governments to operate under such rules."

"Why is every conversation with you like my eighth grade civics class?" muttered Minako as she wandered into the room from the balcony.

"Have you found anything, Artemis?" Luna asked, completely ignoring Minako.

"Yeah," Artemis replied. "Akaruimirai is loaded. I'll bet their CEO alone is worth billions."

"Is he interested in adopting a daughter?" Minako asked.

"Nothing illegal that I can find," the cat continued. "They've got holdings that I didn't know they had. And their corporate demeanor is typical 'smile benevolently on the outside while trying to squeeze every last yen'."

"But no smoking gun?"

"No, I didn't find a secret corporate five year plan to rule Japan via terrorist robots," Artemis replied. "Which would have been Viluy's thing. But there's nothing to indicate they're doing anything other than making sophisticated electronic technology to sell to people at huge markups."

"Then why did that robot go berserk?" Minako asked. "And where did that tidal wave of robot roaches come from?"

"Perhaps we're attacking this problem from the wrong direction," suggested Luna. "Instead of looking for evidence that someone in Akaruimirai is plotting dire events, perhaps we should try to find where those wretched robot insects were manufactured. It has to be a large facility. Once we locate it, perhaps something there will lead us to our 'whom'."

"Works for me," Minako replied. "If we find the plant, there's got to be some disgruntled employee who'll rat out who made them make robot bugs."

"I'm scanning the company directory for a facility big enough to build 'nine million, two hundred and eighty-six thousand, three hundred and eight'," Artemis announced, then smirked at Minako, "plus the one I have."

"You're not funny, Cat," Minako scowled.

"And they have six locations in Japan that fit the search parameters," Artemis reported. "Two in Tokyo."

"We must check them both, just to be thorough," Luna stated.

"Hey, Fuzzy, you got a way to check how many people work at these plants?" Minako asked. Luna looked at her curiously. "Want to know how many I'd be running up against."

"You don't plan to wait for the police to obtain search warrants?" Luna asked.

"I'd kind of like to get in to see these places before they know we're on to them, so they can't destroy anything incriminating. Besides, search warrants are for sissies."

"Interesting," Artemis murmured. "The Shinjuku plant just has a skeleton work force. Just enough for security and maintenance. That tells me it's automated."

"Fewer loose lips that way," Minako added, an eyebrow arched. "Let me collect Ami and we'll go take a look at the place. See if there are any blueprints over there for robot bugs." She smiled suddenly. "Or five thousand foot robot Godzillas!"

"Focus!" Artemis said sternly. As Minako scooted out of the room, Luna emitted a tired sigh.

* * *

When Akiko and Ichiro hit the door, Akiko made a bee line for the kitchen. She knew that if her mother was home at this time of the afternoon, she'd be there cooking. And she wanted to tell her mom everything that happened the day the robot bugs invaded. Then she'd tell it again at dinner, but she first wanted her mother the Senshi to be duly impressed.

Ichiro was more calm. He hauled his backpack toward his room, figuring to try to get a little homework in before dinner. That would leave more time later for video games. And since Akiko always put her homework off until the last minute, he could have the satisfaction of playing while she had to work.

"Hey, Ichiro," his father said from his favorite chair. There was an action series on television, but Sanjuro was looking at him. He gestured the child over. "Just want to get a look at how that eye's holding up."

He gently put his massive hand on the top of the young boy's head and eased it back. Ichiro didn't enjoy being reminded of his beating, but knew his father meant well and endured it silently.

"Looks like its healing," Sanjuro said. "Eye giving you any trouble?"

"I still can't open it more than a crack," Ichiro shrugged. "But it only hurts when I touch it."

"You touch it a lot?" Sanjuro asked. Ichiro shrugged and his father knew that meant he was but didn't want to admit it. "So, any more trouble at school?"

"No," Ichiro said softly. It was another thing he didn't want to be reminded of.

"That boy leaving you alone?"

Him and everyone else; but Ichiro didn't go there. He didn't want any more attention on the subject. Because if his mom found out, she'd try to set things right again.

"Ichiro?"

"Yeah, he's leaving me alone," Ichiro assured him.

"Good," Sanjuro said, resting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Look, I know standing up for what's right can be lonely sometimes. But we all have to do it, no matter what it might cost us, or else the world is that much worse of a place. And I know being special can be lonely, too. It's easy to be part of the herd. And the herd will sometimes resent you for standing out. But that's your burden to bear, son, because you are special. Don't let this get you down. OK?"

Ichiro nodded.

"Now you want a cold pack for your eye?" Sanjuro asked.

"I think it'll be OK," the boy replied. Sanjuro smiled.

"All right. Don't start anything involved. Your mom's going to serve in about twenty or thirty minutes."

Ichiro nodded and headed for his room. Inside, he hung his backpack on the back of the chair at his desk. Bringing out a book, he sat down and began to work on the first problem. But his mind began to wander.

Why? Why did doing the right thing always have to cost something? Was that why so many people didn't do it, or did nothing? His seven year old mind wanted easy answers and this problem didn't seem to have any.

There was a knock on the door of his bedroom. Before Ichiro could get up to open the door, it slid open. Standing in the doorway was Ami Fujihara.

"May I come in, Ichiro-Kun?" she asked. Her demeanor was pleasantly neutral. However, Makoto and Sanjuro were lurking behind her and they couldn't disguise the worry on their faces. Sensing he didn't want an audience, Ami politely closed the door on them. "I wanted to check on how your eye was healing, if that's all right?"

"Sure, Aunt Ami," Ichiro replied. She took a seat while he sat on the edge of his bed.

"I would have scheduled an office visit," she apologized, "but things are just happening much too rapidly. Still, I can't neglect a patient." Her hand gently braced against his forehead. Delicately she pulled the skin on his forehead up so the lid would part, then briefly focused a penlight into the eye. "Your retina and cornea are responsive and show no damage. Is the lid still sore?"

He nodded.

"Cold compresses will help with that. You really should continue with them."

"Yes, Aunt Ami," Ichiro responded. The doctor's hands dropped to her lap. She leaned in sympathetically.

"I know you feel depressed about what happened," Ami offered. "It's a natural response. Violence and the fear and regret that violence induces can be very difficult to deal with, particularly for someone as young as you. I understand what you might be feeling." Ichiro's lack of response struck a familiar cord in the doctor. "When I was your age, I often felt isolated from the other children and a target for bullies."

Ichiro frowned, but didn't look at her.

"Why do people do that, Aunt Ami?" he asked.

"In my case, it was because I was smarter than the others and worked harder," Ami replied. "The other children were intimidated by a comparison of our intellects and work habits. And they reacted in fear out of ignorance. They didn't understand that my being the top score in the class didn't make them worthless. And they didn't understand that lashing out at me wouldn't alleviate the perceived inequity of our status."

"So what did you do?" Ichiro ventured.

"The wrong thing, I admit," sighed Ami. "I withdrew further. By doing so, I missed opportunities for friendships that I wish I had today. Withdrawing isn't the correct response. Neither is retaliation."

"Then what?"

"Have you tried communicating? Some children react violently from fear. If you communicate with them and show them you're not a threat to them, they won't attack." Ami sighed again. "Unfortunately that doesn't work in every case. Some children have yet to learn that dominance of others is not a means to social status. Some never learn. In those cases, adult authority must be brought into play. It isn't seen as socially acceptable in some circles, but it could ultimately prevent a tragedy."

It didn't seem like the magic cure Ichiro wanted, but the boy nodded.

"And one more piece of advice," Ami offered. "This is a lesson your mother taught me: Never lead with your face."

In spite of himself, Ichiro smiled at that.

* * *

Arnold Beliveau's office door opened. He looked up and saw his executive assistant, Tetsuo Shinsuke, standing at the door. Shinsuke had buzzed him moments earlier, signaling that his four p.m. meeting had arrived. Beliveau glanced at the clock on the wall. It said four on the dot.

King Endymion was a man of his word, at this at least. The question was, did it signal eagerness, to settle perhaps, or an obsessiveness that would be difficult to negotiate with?

"King Endymion," Beliveau said, rising to greet him.

That's when he saw the woman holding his hand. She was amazing to see in person. Beliveau was familiar with Queen Serenity, having seen her on television and in print for years. You didn't live in Japan without knowing who Queen Serenity, and Sailor Moon before, was. But there was something about her in person that made it hard to take his eyes off of her. She seemed to glisten, like the gold coins in his collection.

"And Queen Serenity," Beliveau shook himself, realizing that he was staring. "This is unexpected, but an honor nonetheless. May I say that your pictures don't nearly do you justice."

"Thank you," she said meekly. She was nothing like he imagined.

"I asked my wife to sit in with us," Endymion spoke up, trying to refocus the discussion to business and establish a reason for her being there, "because our final decision on the Daiyaku Project will be a joint one. It's best that she hear your side of the project so as not to let the unfortunate accidents color her perception of it."

"Thank you for that," Beliveau nodded. "The Daiyaku Project is a potential quantum leap in science and technology. It's unfortunate that an accident has given it such a bad reputation. Purely the fault of our company and not that of the technology, I assure you, and a fault that we are working diligently to correct and safeguard so that it doesn't happen again. I realize that I've said this to you before, King Endymion, but I must reiterate that shutting the project down would be a blow to human progress and scientific discovery. Not to mention all of the workers dependent upon this project who will be negatively impacted by such a closure. This project will be both a gateway to other technological benefits and a potentially huge shot in the arm to the economy. And frankly, between the electronics collapse and the ravages of the disaster, this country's economy could use just such a boost very badly."

"You're very eloquent, Beliveau-San," commented Endymion, "and very passionate about this."

"I believe in it, King Endymion," Beliveau replied. "I see the future in this project and it excites me! Making history is exciting! And this project, if left alone to grow, will make history."

"And a tidy profit for your company," Endymion added with a cynical eye.

"I'm not purely an altruist," Beliveau shrugged. "I admit the potential for financial gain is quite enticing as well. My belief in this project is genuine. My belief in my company's bottom line is nothing to be ashamed of, either. Hopefully I can persuade you not to shut us down or to impose draconian oversight on us and wreck that potential."

As Beliveau spoke, Endymion momentarily glanced at Serenity to see if she had any impression of Beliveau and whether he could read it on her face. His glance surprised him. Serenity was blankly looking at Arnold Beliveau as if she were in another world. As Endymion returned his attention to Beliveau to continue their business and keep him occupied at the same time, he wondered what his wife was seeing.

Continued in Chapter 8


	8. The Mind's Eye

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 8: The Mind's Eye  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

Queen Serenity looked around. The area was unfamiliar to her. Nearby she could see a river, its banks lined with cement retaining walls illuminated with lights that gave off an orange glow. On either side were streets and stone pedestrian plazas where people could stand and admire the river, the city or each other. Back from the streets were densely packed buildings that housed shops or apartments full of people. None of the buildings were more than four stories high. In the distance, a bridge traversed the river. It was a modern structure dressed up to look old and traditional.

It was dusk and a haze seemed to color the sky a deeper, duller blue than it already was. Light was quickly disappearing behind the horizon. Confused, Serenity looked around. The style of the buildings and the layout of the river bank was strange to her. It was stranger still that in a city this densely packed that no one was around. As she looked, Serenity spotted the source of the haze: Chimneys in the distance extending over the roofs of the nearer buildings from the steel mills, emitting smoke and soot twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They never shut down because their fires would be too costly to extinguish and restart.

Funny how she knew this. She'd never seen a steel mill in her life.

Following the path of the river, Serenity headed away from the mill and toward the setting sun. Street lamps were beginning to come on. There was a general hum of activity all around her, but Serenity couldn't tell where it was coming from. The sun had set completely and the air was beginning to cool. It wasn't uncomfortable, but the nighttime air was different than the daytime air. Lights began to come on in some of the apartments across the river from her. Serenity considered going to one of them, but discarded the notion.

At once she noticed a man sitting on a bench. He was leaning forward, his arms folded before him and resting on the railing overlooking the river. Serenity glided over to him. As she got closer, Serenity could make more of him out. He was a young man, about twenty-five, with dark hair and a wiry frame full of coiled vigor. But when he turned and glanced at her, she could see a serious maturity in his demeanor. She sensed the solemn nature had been born of work and struggle, of denial and loss, of focus and faith. And there was something in that youthful face that she recognized.

"Beliveau-San?" Serenity asked. She was standing just feet away from him, her white gown and hair trails shifting in the sway of the breeze off the river.

"Queen Serenity," he replied, mildly surprised to see her. Then he warmed. "Welcome to Charleroi, Belgium. This is the city where I grew up."

Accepting his invitation to sit, Serenity sat down on the stone bench beside him. Beliveau returned to gazing at the river while she looked at him.

"I'm in your subconscious?" Serenity asked.

"You seem surprised," Beliveau replied. "Isn't this where you intended to go?"

"I'm not," Serenity began with some embarrassment, "entirely sure where I was going. I wanted to learn a little more about you."

"A dull subject," Beliveau grinned. "But I'll indulge you. I was born here in Charleroi in 1956. My father worked in the Cockerill-Sambre steel mill for twenty-four years. My mother," and Beliveau paused. Serenity sensed he was pushing back great pain. "My mother died when I was eleven - - cancer. I was an only child because mother's health prevented her from conceiving again. So after she died, it was just me and Papa."

"I'm sorry," Serenity told him. "Were you close to her?"

"I was close to both my parents," Beliveau said. "Although there were times when my father and I - - disagreed. My father worked hard. The mill ground a little away from him every day. He didn't want that for me. He didn't want me to work in the mill. He wanted me to own the mill. So I worked and I studied and I learned so I could do something besides work in the mill. And I resented it sometimes, because I was young and I wanted to do other things. But he kept at me and I kept at it. I graduated from Universite de Liege with a Masters in Business and a minor in electronics, both of which I had some talent and interest in."

"I imagine he was very proud that day," Serenity smiled.

"No," Beliveau sighed. "Papa died of a heart attack a month before I graduated."

Reflexively Serenity put her arms around the young man.

"The mill had killed him. I knew it," Beliveau continued. "Determined that it would not get me, I worked for other businesses until I could get enough expertise and enough capital to start my own business. And I did. And it was successful. My company became the largest electronics and computerized mechanization concern in Belgium, and when we diversified into computer software it became the fourth largest in the European Union. I had a wife and a family, and more money than ninety-nine percent of the world. I was a far cry from my humble beginnings." He paused. "I thought I had it all."

"What happened?"

"I suffered a mild heart attack at age fifty-four," Beliveau replied matter-of-factly. "I was only nine years older than my father when he had his. And I realized money, success, familial contentment - - was all fleeting - - impermanent. I'm sixty now," and the young man grinned at her, "I know I don't look it now. We all think of ourselves in our minds eye as that young man or woman we first matured into. But I haven't very much time left."

"None of us do," Serenity offered.

"But then," Beliveau said, beginning to smile sentimentally, "I acquired Akaruimirai and was introduced to Dr. Heiwajima. Dr. Heiwajima had a concept for an artificially intelligent cybernetic humanoid. Immediately my mind started racing. I recruited a research team to give him the most aid I could find. It began paying dividends immediately. Oh, I don't mean financial dividends. It was what they were producing. Heiwajima's advancements of the Bidou woman's core concepts were - - a leap, an advancement in technology that took my breath away. And he just wanted to apply it to robot laborers! He didn't see the application I saw!"

"What application was that?"

"Human augmentation," Beliveau said almost reverently. "Prosthetics at first, prosthetics that would change the field and allow the afflicted to live normal lives again. It would be a tremendous benefit to humanity, and be a fantastic money-maker! And then I realized that even I wasn't thinking it through. If the concept could be taken to its conclusion, a human brain could be housed in a cybernetically-controlled artificial body. It would mean immortality."

Serenity looked at him warily.

"No one would need to fear death again," Beliveau continued. "No one would be taken from his family prematurely or have his lifetime of accomplishments crumble to dust on his deathbed. It was all there in the Bidou woman's notes. The greatest among us could live forever and benefit everyone with their knowledge and experience, and they'd benefit by never having that life snuffed out like a candle flame."

Serenity watched Beliveau age as the fervency in his eyes and speech grew. In moments he was the gray old man she had greeted in his office.

"I pushed the project forward," Beliveau continued, "threw money at it. I pushed and I pushed, because I knew I was working at a deadline. I'm sixty years old. I've only got twenty years left, give or take - - less if my heart problems flair up again. I need Dr. Heiwajima, need him to make that final breakthrough while there's still time for me." He turned earnestly to Serenity. "That's why you have to let Dr. Heiwajima go - - have to let the project go on unimpeded. We're going to make the breakthrough. I know we will. I just don't want it to be too late."

Serenity grasped his hands and patted them. "I understand. Thank you for telling me this. And forgive me for intruding."

"It is amazing," Beliveau grinned. "I've told you things I wouldn't admit to my own wife. But there's something about you. I feel I can trust you."

And Serenity found herself back in Arnold Beliveau's office. Endymion and Beliveau were negotiating inspection schedules and safety protocols. As they talked, Endymion glanced over at his wife. Noticing how unsettled she was, he brought the discussion to a halt.

"We're going to have to break this off for now," he told Beliveau. Beliveau noticed Serenity's mood and silently expressed concern. "I think we're very close to a workable framework for safety inspections that will allow your project to resume. I'll contact you again tomorrow to finish the details."

"Of course," Beliveau nodded. He stood as Endymion helped Serenity to her feet. "I hope you're feeling better, Your Majesty." Serenity nodded and Endymion escorted her out of the office.

"What happened?" Endymion asked her as they headed for the elevator.

"I went deeper into his mind than I had any right to," Serenity whispered anxiously. "For a moment I thought I was going to get lost in there. This must be what Rei goes through all the time. Oh I feel so sorry for her."

Endymion wanted to ask more, but let it go.

* * *

A late model Tokyo mid-size sat on the street outside the Shinjuku manufacturing plant of Akaruimirai Corporation. Inside the car, Minako Aino had donned a uniform of a custodian and was applying makeup in the rearview mirror to alter her appearance. She already had on her short hair black wig. As she worked in rouge to make her cheeks appear more sallow, Minako glanced at her companion, Ami.

"You better get moving, Ami," Minako said. "I'll do your makeup, but you're going to have to put your uniform on yourself."

"Minako," Ami sighed heavily, "I have serious misgivings about this."

"Hey, the simplest plans are always the best. We use these handy little worker ID badges that Artemis whipped up for us," and she flashed two plastic cards, "get into the plant and look for anything incriminating. It's after six so the skeleton crew that staffs this plant will be even thinner. And nobody notices the cleaning crew."

"Falsifying documents," Ami replied, "criminal trespass, industrial espionage, possible burglary. . ."

"Relax. I did this all the time when I was Sailor V," Minako assured her.

"You were a vigilante when you were Sailor V," Ami countered. "We are representatives of the elected government of Japan now. There are rules instituted to keep the government from trampling on the rights of the individual, even one who may be engaged in criminal activity, that we as agents of that government must follow if they are to have any meaning."

"What's more important: Protecting the people's rights or protecting their lives?" Minako shot back.

"You're rationalizing," Ami scowled.

"Well, the rules and the right thing don't always align neatly," Minako maintained. "I'm going to choose the right thing. You don't feel comfortable doing this, stay behind. Monitor me from out here with your computer and watch my back."

"Very well," Ami exhaled. "Keep your communicator open in case I have to contact you quickly." Minako nodded and emerged from the car. "And I'm so glad that you have an infallible grasp of what 'the right thing' always is," she added sarcastically.

"What can I say? It's a gift," Minako smirked at her.

And she was off. Ami transformed into Sailor Mercury and engaged her computer. Looking at Minako, she could see the woman was already passing through the gate through a combination of the forged employee ID and her innate ability to bluff her way through a situation.

"Truly a gifted actress," Ami commented to herself as she brought up the computer's sensor screen and attuned it to Minako's senshi communicator.

Using a layout of the plant garnered by Artemis that she had memorized, Minako found a cleaning cart in a utility closet and began making her rounds. No one noticed her because no one was there. Her first objective was to head for the offices, to throw off anybody who might be watching. She had noticed the surveillance cameras at the entrance and in several parts of the building.

"Hey, Mercury," Minako said loud enough so that her open communicator could pick it up. "Can your computer do anything about surveillance cameras? Fuzzy wasn't able to whip up anything spur of the moment."

"I can try," Mercury replied. "Point your communicator at one of them." Mercury studied the picture. "Hmm, those are closed-circuit monitors. There's no entry for me to hack the picture. The best I could do would be to shut off power to the plant."

"That's going to stir up the natives," Minako murmured. "I'll just have to play it cool. It's going to take longer, though."

"You're in no danger so far," Mercury told her. "I only detect six people in the plant, including yourself. One is at the gate and another is stationary in a monitor room for the surveillance cameras. Two others are moving around with large objects much like yours."

"Must be the other two members of the cleaning crew," Minako said as she pushed her cart down a hall. "Where's number six?"

"In a large room in the south wing of the plant," Mercury replied. "My scans indicate that it's probably an automated construction facility due to the repetitive movement of the generated electrical fields."

"A little late to be working, don't you think? And with only one person supervising?" Minako judged. "Probably where they build the bugs. Probably this big factory with robots building more robots to take over the world. Remember that plant that Viluy was running out on the west side that one time."

"Please don't remind me," Mercury said softly. "Is that where you're headed? I can direct you."

"Yeah, but I have to empty a few more wastebaskets and check a few more offices first, to keep up appearances. Wouldn't want to break character and have one of those surveillance cameras spot me."

As Mercury waited tensely, Minako made her way cautiously to the south wing. She stopped and surreptitiously looked around. There was a camera focused on the door, which had a keycard entry system locking the door.

"Get ready, Merc," Minako mumbled as she approached the door. "I'm about to blow my cover. Let me know if I attract any hostiles."

Walking right up to the door, Minako placed a device on the lock. It was an invention of Artemis, designed to scramble the magnetic code of the lock and spring it open. It worked perfectly, but Minako knew that it could also alert those monitoring her that she was in a restricted area. Boldly she burst into the room - - and was amazed at what she saw.

* * *

"And it was just terrible, Rei-Chan!" Luna heard Serenity say. Peeking into the Queen's office, she found Serenity on her Senshi communicator. Apparently Rei was checking in from The Philippines. "Even as I listened to Beliveau-San's image of himself talk about his memories and his feelings, it was like I was experiencing them. It was almost like I was - - becoming him."

This surprised the cat. She had gotten a general rundown of what happened with the Beliveau meeting, but hadn't learned in detail just how Serenity had discovered that Beliveau was innocent of any of the acts of aggression that seemed to be emanating from his business.

"How are things going with you and Derek?" Serenity asked and Luna realized that she had missed the transition between subjects in the conversation. She saw the Queen's hopeful expression fade to one of disappointment. "Well, keep trying. You two are right for each other. I just know it." She paused for Rei to respond. "Well I'm no quitter! I'm going to get you two married, you just watch!"

Suddenly Serenity frowned at the communicator. Luna smothered a grin.

"Although why anybody would want to marry somebody as MEAN as you, I DON'T KNOW!" huffed the Queen. She listened for a moment, then blew a raspberry into the communicator. "Call me tomorrow. AND TRY TO HAVE A NICE DAY!"

"You didn't tell me about having psychic contact with Beliveau-San, Your Majesty," Luna said, hopping up onto the desk.

"DON'T call me Your Majesty!" Serenity fumed.

"Don't change the subject," Luna stood firm. "How far into his mind were you able to go?"

Serenity sagged. "All the way. I was just trying to read some impression from him, like Rei-Chan does, to see if he was lying or if he knew more than he was telling. And suddenly I was inside of his mind. I knew everything about him: everything he'd done, everything he felt, what he loved, what he hated, what he feared!" She shook her head. "It was like he didn't have a shred of privacy, like he didn't have any place to hide, anywhere to be safe from me."

Luna looked on in sympathy.

"I'm never doing that again," Serenity stated firmly. "It's not right."

"But you did clear away some of the mystery of this situation," Luna offered. "And you did manage to clear Beliveau-San of complicity in the assaults upon the palace and the city. Some good came of it."

"It doesn't matter," Serenity replied. "I had no right to go that deep. No one does. Everyone is entitled to a place that's theirs and theirs alone, where no one can see but you. Even if it's just your mind. I went too far again." She sighed. "One of these days I'm going to get a handle on just how much the Silver Crystal can do now. That is if I ever stop being stupid little Usagi."

"'Stupid little Usagi' only existed in your mind, Your Majesty," Luna told her. "And she's a figment of your past. The fact that you have an ability and choose for the good of others not to use it shows just how mature you've become."

To the cat's satisfaction, the corners of the Queen's mouth turned up.

* * *

"Man," Minako gasped.

"What do you see?" Mercury asked over the communicator.

"This set up is just like the one Viluy had!" Minako exclaimed. "Does this guy have an original idea?"

"What are they constructing?" Mercury demanded.

"More robots," Minako reported. "But not like the one Mars, um I mean that fox thing melted. These are sleeker, more human-like." She brought her communicator up. "You getting this?"

"Bi-pedal construction," Mercury murmured. "Broader chest cavity, but to what purpose? Yes, these are definitely modified versions of the prototype we encountered. And that tells me that Dr. Heiwajima isn't involved in this."

"How do you figure?" Minako asked.

"Dr. Heiwajima has been incarcerated," Mercury replied as if it were a simple deduction. "How would he have the opportunity to modify the design this drastically, let alone implement it? And there are features to this design that suggest neither Dr. Heiwajima nor Yui. Another hand is behind this."

"That CEO? Beliveau?"

"I," Mercury began. "Minako, I have three figures approaching your location!"

"Guards?"

"They're too fast! And they're giving off too much electromagnetic radiation! They have to be automatons!"

Instantly a henshin stick appeared in Minako's hand. A second later, Sailor Venus stood in that spot. And in that second three fully functional automatons exactly duplicating the ones being constructed burst through the doors with intimidating speed.

Continued in Chapter 9


	9. Escape From Shinjuku

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 9: Escape From Shinjuku  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

"Minako, I have three figures approaching your location!" Sailor Mercury said urgently over the Senshi communicator.

"Guards?" Minako asked from a robot construction plant inside the Shinjuku branch installation of Akaruimirai.

"They're too fast! And they're giving off too much electromagnetic radiation! They have to be automatons!"

Instantly a henshin stick appeared in Minako's hand. A second later, Sailor Venus stood in that spot. And in that second three fully functional automatons exactly duplicating the ones being constructed burst through the doors with intimidating speed.

Each was humanoid, with massive chests, broad shoulders and powerful articulated upper and lower limbs. A squat bowling ball of a head rested on the broad shoulders of each one. The head had two eyes glowing red, small parabolic dishes for ears and a mouth closed in a straight line. The unadorned bodies of the three automatons gleamed in a manner that suggested polished aluminum, but to the eye of Sailor Venus, the metal was stronger, as if the aluminum was a protective coating.

"Venus Love Me Chain!" Venus shouted, directing three chains with heart-shaped links at the three attacking automatons.

Two of the chains struck home, snapping around the upper torsos of the two mobile robots and sending them staggering back. The third dodged and avoided the chain attack. As it charged Venus, sharp pointed stilettos six inches in length extended from its fingers. When it was in range, the robot slashed at Venus. Athletically the senshi flipped backwards to avoid the attack, landing on her feet and dipping into a crouch.

"That's no way to treat an idol," Venus replied, a cocky grin sprouting on her face.

Another Love Me Chain extended from her hand as the robot pivoted and charged her again. When the mechanized attacker reached a certain distance, Venus lashed at it with the chain. The automaton swatted the chain away, but Venus already had it whipping back. As the robot blocked that slash, Venus extended another chain from her other hand. She slashed again and again at the robot, slowing it down as she stayed out of its reach while inflicting superficial damage.

"Man, what are these things made of?" Venus thought as she pirouetted, striking the robot with a double lashing of her chains.

Then she noticed the two bound robots. They had extended stilettos from their hands and worked them under the links of the Love Me Chains. Links bent and deformed until they were unable to resist the pressure any further and burst. Immediately the two robots charged her.

Unexpectedly lunging forward, Venus wrapped her chain around the wrist of the nearest automaton and pivoted. Expecting to toss the captured robot over her hip and into the charging ones, Venus quickly realized that it was a lot heavier than a normal human. Her efforts were able to jerk it off its base and the robot rolled, cutting the legs out from one of the others while the third leaped over it. The third robot charged her, arms extended back from it and intent on slashing her.

"Venus! Love and Beauty Shock!" Venus shouted.

Golden energy exploded into the attacking robot, lifting it off the floor and throwing it against a wall. Paint, plaster and cinder block cracked and crumbled upon impact, but the robot seemed undamaged. Venus cocked her head to the side and saw out of the corner of her eye that the other two robots were back on their feet. She was about to strike them with another blast of energy.

Then one of the robots opened its mouth as protective shields closed over its "eyes". Inside the mouth was a small tube pointing at her, surrounded by a metallic half oval. The tube was arcing red energy inside of it. At once a red beam of light shot out from the robot's mouth. Venus lunged to the side to avoid it, but the beam caught the folds of her skirt and sliced neatly through it. The beam tracked her as Venus rolled along the floor until she came to rest behind a desk.

"These cats are a lot tougher than anything Viluy built!" Venus thought. The laser beam sliced through the corner of the desk just above and to the left of her. "Wish Mars was here to deep fry these things!"

Unexpectedly the desk rose swiftly into the air. Venus looked up and saw one of the robots holding the heavy desk effortlessly above its head. Reacting, Venus shot a Crescent Beam into the robot's face, striking one eye. The crystal sensor in the eye shattered. Not waiting for a reaction, Venus fired her leg out from her and kicked the robot in the lower torso. It was like kicking a sub-compact car, but she managed to stagger it. That sent the desk crashing down on top of it, pinning the robot beneath the heavy piece of furniture.

Not wishing to be a sitting target, Venus immediately was up and racing away from where she'd been to a nearby parts cart, the laser of one of the other robots tracking her. Diving behind the cart, Venus grabbed a thigh assembly that was coated in polished aluminum.

"I may not be as smart as Ami," Venus though, rising up to catch the laser on the thigh assembly, "but I know lasers are just amplified light and light can be reflected by a mirrored surface like this thigh!"

Indeed the laser glanced off of the thigh. Unfortunately its uneven surface prevented Venus from reflecting the beam back at the robot, as she intended. The beam carved a furrow in the ceiling for a few seconds. Then the other robot was on top of her, slamming downward with a powerful hammer blow of its fist. Venus narrowly avoided the blow and rolled to her feet. Brandishing the thigh assembly like a bludgeon, Venus swung it at the robot's head. It struck a glancing blow on the robot and staggered it. But the robot firing the laser was still active and now the one that had impacted the wall was charging again.

"Venus Love Me Chain!" she shouted. Snaring the two furthest robots in her Love Me Chain momentarily halted their assaults. "I'm not liking the odds anymore," Venus thought. "Maybe I better beat a hasty retreat until I can call Serenity and the troops."

She started for the door. But something clamped around her ankle and Venus fell forward to the floor.

"AAAAHHHHH!" she screamed. It was like her ankle was caught in a bear trap. Turning, she saw the robot she had knocked over with the thigh assembly had hold of her ankle. Pain shot up her leg. It felt like the bones were being crushed. "Crescent Beam!" she hissed. A golden beam from her finger struck the robot's other sensor eye, effectively blinding it. But the robot didn't release her. Sound directed her away from the robot that held her. The other two were advancing on her and Venus had no illusions as to what their intent was. She thought to try her max attack. It was the only card she had left to play.

"Mercury! Aqua Rhapsody!"

Instantly the advancing robots were frozen in blocks of ice. Racing up between them was Sailor Mercury.

"Careful, Mercury! They shoot lasers!" Venus shouted.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury shouted, localizing her attack onto the robot arm holding Venus. When it flash froze, Mercury picked up the discarded thigh assembly and brought it down viciously onto the frozen arm. It shattered under the blow. The Senshi knelt down and pried the hand off of her companion's ankle. After a cursory glance, she pulled her sailor kerchief off and wrapped the ankle.

"That can wait!" Venus exclaimed. "We have to blow this joint now before more of these robots show up!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion," Mercury said, localizing her attack to cover the wrapped ankle in a coating of ice.

"HOLY CRAP, THAT'S COLD!" bellowed Venus.

"The wrapping will stabilize the ankle and the ice will retard swelling," Mercury said, "at least until I can get an x-ray." She turned, engaged her visor, and scanned the frozen robots.

"Tick tock, Mercury!" Venus said anxiously.

"I want to scan as much information about these automatons as I'm able," Mercury replied. Moments later she retracted her visor. Draping Venus's arm over her shoulder, Mercury lifted them both to their feet. "Lean on me. Don't put any weight on your ankle if you can avoid it."

"Gotcha," Venus said as they headed into the outer corridor. "And Mercury - - thanks."

Mercury was about to reply, but they both heard the sound of ice beginning to fissure. The two senshi quickened their pace.

* * *

Back at the palace, Queen Serenity carried little Setsuko into her bedroom. The child rested her head on the Queen's bare shoulder, her hands clutching at the woman's arms. She never felt more safe and more secure than when she was in her dear Usagi-Mama's arms. Memories of her past were blurring more and more. Her parents and brother were gone and she did miss them. But she knew that her Usagi-Mama was the best replacement a girl could ever hope for. Serenity laid the child down on the bed, pulled the covers up and then gently sat down on the edge of the bed. Catching her golden hair trails in her hands, the Queen leaned in and kissed Setsuko on the forehead.

"Good night, my little Setsuko-Chan," Serenity smiled, oozing love out of every pore. "Have pleasant dreams and then tell me all about them tomorrow."

"All right, Mama," Setsuko said. Serenity began to rise from the bed. "Mama?"

"Yes?"

The child grew somber. Serenity noticed immediately.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's Ichiro-Kun," Setsuko confessed. "He's all beat up. And he's so sad." She thought for a moment. "Why do people do that?"

"I wish I knew," Serenity told her. "I'd try to stop it." She considered her next response. "Some people use violence out of fear. They're afraid of something or of losing something, so they lash out. Some people use violence because they think it makes them superior. They haven't learned yet that it only makes them smaller." She gently brushed the black hair from Setsuko's forehead. "It doesn't make them hopeless, just harder to reach. Unfortunately, people like Ichiro-Kun have to suffer because of it. It's not right - - but it's the way it is sometimes."

"Like Onee-Chan," Setsuko murmured thoughtfully. "Mama, is Ichiro-Kun going to die like Onee-Chan?"

"No," Serenity said, placing her hand over the girl's chest. "Your Aunt Ami looked him over and he's not going to die."

"Good," Setsuko exhaled, relieved. "I wish I could do something for him. He's still so sad."

"Well," Serenity smiled, "maybe the best thing you could do for him right now is be his friend. When people are sad, they need the support of their friends."

"I can do that," Setsuko nodded with much serious intent. Serenity's smile grew and she kissed the child again. Then her head turned ever so slightly, as if she was hearing something. But there was no sound. She turned back to the child and caressed her cheek. "Now go to sleep and dream happy dreams."

And as Setsuko snuggled into her bed to dream her happy dreams, Serenity glided out of the room to aid her friends.

* * *

In the central meeting room in the palace for the Senshi, King Endymion was on the phone with Arnold Beliveau of the Akaruimirai Corporation. Artemis was on the Senshi communicator with Sailor Venus, coordinating what was happening in Shinjuku. Luna crouched next to him, alternately glancing at him and the display on his computer screen, ready to offer any assistance he might need. Off to one side, Sailor Jupiter waited, anxious about the fate of her friends and ready to assist in any way at a moment's notice.

"Yes, Beliveau-San," Endymion said. "They did exceed their authority by entering your facility under false pretenses. I'm granting that. At the moment, that's beside the point. While you have the right to protect your property with force, you do not have the right to protect it with deadly force." He listened to the response. "Because this is Japan, Beliveau-San. We don't do things like that here."

Pressing a button on his computer, Artemis brought up a screen that was tracking Venus and Mercury through global positioning from their communicators.

"I've got you, Venus," Artemis said. "Any sign of pursuit by these automatons?"

"I don't see them," Venus reported back. "Suppose they gave up?"

"They didn't give up," Mercury cut in. "My computer is still tracking them. Look at the display and tell me their location."

"Mercury must be driving," Artemis murmured to Luna, "thank Heaven."

"I heard that," Venus growled. "Yeah, they're about four hundred meters behind us. They're not closing, but they're not going away, either. Maybe they want to lodge a complaint with Endymion."

"Have they threatened any bystanders that you can see?" Luna asked.

"Not according to this," Venus replied. "They're stuck on our trail and seem to be pretty single-minded about it."

Jupiter glanced over at Endymion when she heard the King's voice raise.

"And what exactly are you doing with robotic attack guardians in the first place?" he snapped. "This was never brought up in our regulatory negotiations! If you've been holding out on me, this hardly makes your company the aggrieved party in this case!"

Just then, Serenity entered the room. By the dismayed look on her face, it was clear she'd sensed the distress of Mercury and Venus.

"Jupiter, are they all right?" Serenity asked.

"Blondie has a bad ankle, but so far they got out intact," Jupiter reported.

"What were they doing? I thought they were just going to look the plant over!"

"Venus," Artemis huffed, "decided to look it over from the inside by passing herself off as an employee."

"You say it like it's a bad thing!" Venus barked over the communicator.

"IT IS A BAD THING!" Artemis roared back. Luna rubbed her head against his chin in sympathy.

"According to Beliveau-San," Endymion interjected, "Akaruimirai doesn't have functioning automaton guards."

"You believe him?" Jupiter asked.

"He doesn't," Serenity said distantly. "Beliveau-San believes that a working humanoid cybernetic robot is five years away at least."

"Your Majesty," Luna observed, "that isn't your usual vocabulary."

"They're his words," Serenity replied uncomfortably.

Endymion had hung up the phone and was coming over to his wife. She fell into his arms for a moment to steady herself.

"I 'suggested' to Beliveau-San that he find out who is in charge of the Shinjuku plant," Endymion said. "I'm also going to put in a call to Superintendent Sakurada to have the place raided, on my authority, with their tactical team in place. Perhaps the Senshi should be there, too." Serenity nodded.

"I'll contact Haruka and Michiru," Luna added. "In my judgment, this situation can't have too many senshi."

"How are you two coming? Is there still pursuit?" Artemis asked over the communicator.

"We're near the border of Shinjuku Prefecture," Mercury reported. "I've had to run several lights to stay ahead of the pursuit. Fortunately traffic is light at this time of the evening. Any assistance you can offer would be greatly appreciated."

Instantly Serenity pulled away from Endymion. She extended her hand to Jupiter. Puzzled for a moment, Jupiter took her hand. There was a blinding flash of silver light, and then the pair were gone.

"Contact Tokyo Metro Police!" Endymion shouted, headed for the door. "Bring them up to speed on the situation! Pinpoint where Mercury and Venus are and send all available forces there!"

As he shot through the door, the cats could see his clothing change from a grey tuxedo to black armor.

* * *

The Toyota mid-size belonging to Ami Fujihara sped down the street, lurching through an intersection to narrowly avoid on-coming traffic from the side. It was the fourth collision Mercury had managed to avoid. However, her brain was calculating the odds of how many more she could successfully avoid and she wasn't liking the conclusion she reached.

"We're going to have to stop," Mercury declared. "Make a stand. I can't keep on avoiding civilian vehicles and pedestrians. I've come too close too many times. We have to make a stand."

"I'm all for it," Venus told her. "But these jokers aren't your ordinary menace. They shrugged off my best attacks and kept coming. It might be a stand we don't come back from."

The Toyota screeched to a halt in the middle of the block. Bystanders stared and pointed, then began gasping and cheering when the two senshi emerged.

"There's only two of them, correct?" Mercury asked.

"Yeah, I guess I blinded the third and it couldn't pursue," Venus replied, leaning against the car for support.

"I'll freeze them in place," Mercury instructed. The two automatons were visible now down the street, eliciting fearful exclamations from the spectators. "Try to use your Crescent Beam to sever their heads from their bodies. Perhaps it will disrupt their systems and crash them."

"You just say when," Venus nodded. "So what happens if that doesn't work?"

"We try something different," Mercury replied, though she didn't quite know what yet.

Suddenly there was a brilliant flash of light in the street between the two senshi and the advancing automatons. When the light dissipated, Queen Serenity and Sailor Jupiter were standing in the street. The crowd cheered.

But the cheers died in their throats when Serenity immediately fell to her knees.

Continued in Chapter 10


	10. Rise Of The Automatons

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 10: Rise Of The Automatons  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

"And that's the situation at the moment," Luna's voice came over the Senshi communicator. "Artemis is sending you the coordinates for where the others are."

"I've got them, Luna," Michiru said. She was sitting on the sofa in the home she shared, her house mate Haruka standing behind and looking over her shoulder at the read out. "Do you want us to assist?"

"Luna, I'm getting a police report from Tokyo Metro that more of these robots are coming out of the Shinjuku plant," they could hear Artemis say. "Police have engaged and they're calling for backup."

"Negative, Michiru," Luna replied. "Assist the police. Assess and if possible contain the plant. If these automatons were able to fight Mercury and Venus to a standstill, I doubt the police will have more of a chance."

Michiru closed her communicator, stood up and summoned her henshin stick. She glanced at Haruka. Haruka already had hers out.

* * *

Suddenly there was a brilliant flash of light in the street between the two senshi and the advancing automatons. When the light dissipated, Queen Serenity and Sailor Jupiter were standing in the street. The crowd cheered.

But the cheers died in their throats when Serenity immediately fell to her knees.

"Serenity?" Jupiter asked anxiously while keeping the advancing two robots in sight.

"Sorry," Serenity gasped. "So dizzy! Happens when I teleport!"

"Take your time. I've got this," Jupiter replied. The lightning rod extended from her tiara. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

Electricity sparked from the tiara to her two hands extended from her body. In an instant, twin bolts of lightning shot out at the two robots, striking them both and exploding in a flash of light and smoke and for a brief moment blue-white fire. The two metal creatures spun around and clattered to the ground. By now Mercury had advanced to them and was kneeling next to Serenity, while Venus hung back by the car.

"How is she?" Jupiter asked, risking a glance back at the Queen.

"Pulse rapid, respiration shallow," Mercury fussed. "You really should stop teleporting, Serenity. This happens every time."

"HEADS UP, JUPE!" Venus shouted from the car.

Jupiter turned back to the two robots and saw they were getting back to their feet. Smoke still rose from them, but they seemed otherwise unaffected by Jupiter's electrical strike.

"What, am I going to have to go max on them?" Jupiter exclaimed in astonishment.

"Mercury! Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury shouted, projecting her attack from where she knelt next to Serenity. A wave of water suddenly appeared from nowhere and flooded over the two automatons, then flash froze in an instant. "That should buy you some time, Jupiter!"

"Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!" Jupiter responded.

The crowd watching began to emit nervous sounds. Clouds began to gather and swirl overhead, dark clouds with ominous bearing. The wind picked up, blowing at anything loose. At one point, Venus had to hold her tattered skirt down for modesty's sake. People began to back away, seeking shelter in doorways or under awnings. A distant rumble began to build until it threatened to shake the foundations of the buildings lining either side of the street.

Then a bolt of lightning lanced down from the sky and struck the robots encased in Mercury's ice. It exploded in a white hot burst of intensity that forced everyone to look away. Closely following the strike was what sounded like bones snapping magnified a thousand times. The sound rolled down the street, rattling windows as it passed. When the sound died away and everyone felt it was safe to look, they all looked where the bolt had struck.

Steam rose from the strike point, the vaporized remnants of Mercury's ice. Left behind was scorched asphalt and puddles of melted aluminum, steel and silicon. Jupiter put her hand to her temple as a wave of exhaustion swept over her. She heard Venus whistle behind her and her mouth curled into a smile. The bystanders erupted into applause and cheers.

"Thank you, Jupiter," Serenity said. She was on her feet, braced by Mercury. Jupiter flashed her a tired smile. Just then, the Senshi communicator signaled. Mercury answered first.

"We have reports of more automatons emerging from the Shinjuku plant, Your Majesty," Luna reported. "The police have engaged and Uranus and Neptune are en route." Mercury and Jupiter looked to Serenity.

"We need to go to them," Serenity said without hesitation. Jupiter nodded.

"Serenity, Venus is injured," Mercury said. "She really should have medical attention."

"I can go," Venus said, hobbling over to them. It was obvious that she couldn't put any weight on her ankle. "I don't need my feet to use my Love And Beauty Shock."

"Let me see your ankle," Serenity said, kneeling down before Venus. The wrap was still in place, but the ice cast was melting.

"What, no candy and flowers first?" Venus quipped.

Serenity's hands took on a silver glow. She reached down and grasped the ice. It vaporized in an instant. The glow intensified as she grasped the ankle. Venus sucked in air. But the sensation died away quickly and with it any pain she felt. Venus stood on it with no trouble.

"I wish you wouldn't do things like that so soon after over-extending yourself," Mercury sighed.

"Actually, healing seems to be easier for me than teleportation. Don't ask me why," Serenity replied, putting her hand to her temple as she regained her feet. "Now come closer. I'll fly us to the plant."

"Um, you rest," Mercury said, gesturing to her car. "I'll drive us."

Not wanting to waste time arguing, Serenity nodded and the four headed for the car.

* * *

"No, Beliveau-San," Luna said on Endymion's speaker phone extension. "His Majesty is not here at present. If you like, I can relay a message."

"He asked me who's currently in charge of the Shinjuku facility," Beliveau said over the phone. "The plant operations itself is being supervised by Kazuhiro Unita. But the tech research is being headed by Nick Devlin."

"How well do you know this Devlin-San?" Luna asked.

"He's been an immense help to the Daiyaku Project," Beliveau replied. "Very brilliant, and very innovative. He discovered the Bidou woman's research and brought it to our attention. He was the one who helped Dr. Heiwajima get to the prototype stage. Easily shaved five years off of the project's time table."

"Given what's happening at your Shinjuku plant, it seems more and more likely that he's the real source of all the trouble and not Dr. Heiwajima," Luna argued.

"Devlin?" Beliveau murmured in shock. "It can't be. He was," and the man grew silent. "My dream. He was going to make it come true."

Luna cut the connection. "Perhaps he decided to make his own dreams come true instead."

* * *

Sailor Uranus pulled up to the Shinjuku plant in Michiru's Nissan Altima. Normally she considered the Altima beneath her, but they were going into a potential combat situation, so better to risk the Altima than her prized Reventon. The scene, though, made her forget all about the Reventon.

Seven police cars, their lights still flashing, were stopped at random angles around the plant, their doors still open. Laying on the pavement near the cars were the slashed and mangled bodies of fourteen Tokyo police officers. Shell casings littered the street in between the bodies.

"Luna wasn't kidding about these things being dangerous," Uranus observed. "All of those shell casings - - they didn't go down without a fight."

"But where are the automatons now?" Neptune wondered out loud. "There are no visible tracks. And without knowing their objective, there's no way to determine where they might have gone."

"See that police helicopter up there," Uranus said, pointing up into the evening sky. A police helicopter was circling southwest of them, its light trained on the ground. "How much you want to bet it's following those things."

Neptune nodded to Uranus. The pair got back into the Altima and it headed at top speed toward the area the aircraft was circling. A half mile later, Uranus pulled to a stop. There were seven of the metal monsters ahead.

"World Shaking!" Uranus shouted once she was clear of the car.

Geo-force sped from Uranus to the robots, ripping up pavement as it traveled. The force impacted the center robot directly, but the blast was sufficient to knock all seven over. Neither outer relaxed, though. If three had given that much trouble to Sailor Mercury and Sailor Venus, twice that many would be twice the threat.

It was a logical assumption and a true one. Six of the metal monsters got to their feet with no visible damage. The one who took the blast dead center was sparking from its hip joint and that was hampering its efforts to get up. When the other six regained their feet, in unison they extended the razor sharp spikes from their fingers. Uranus summoned the Space Sword, while the Deep Aqua Mirror appeared in Neptune's hands.

"Space Turbulence!" Uranus shouted, holding the sword up high.

Sparks began exploding all around the six robots, as if the electrons of the air molecules were detonating. The explosions grew more frequent, filling the air around them with deadly radiant energy. The automatons began to move in a halting, jerking manner. It was the conclusion of the two senshi that the attack's radiant energy was interfering with both the physical operation of the robots and with their cybernetic control system.

"Keep it up, Uranus," Neptune advised her. She held the mirror in reserve, should the robots mount a counterattack.

Two of the robots nearest to them suddenly opened their mouths while metal shields extended over their optical units. In the mouths were parabolic mini-dishes with tubes in the center, the tubes containing dancing crimson energy. Without hesitation, the two metal monsters fired lasers.

Already moving, both Uranus and Neptune avoided the beams initial strike. Uranus kept moving as the beam tracked her, at one point deflecting the beam with the blade of her Space Sword.

"Submarine Reflection!" Neptune shouted, returning fire with her mirror.

The mirror's crimson beam lanced out and struck one of the robots in the mouth. Part of the beam was deflected by the parabolic dish, but the rest struck the tube. The tube exploded, taking the robot's head with it. Shifting her line of fire, Neptune fired at the other four robots advancing on her position. The beam, though, just deflected harmlessly off of the polished outer surface of the nearest attacker.

"Deep Submerge!" Neptune shouted.

Out of nowhere a huge wave rose up and engulfed the robots. Neptune was hoping to sweep them away, but the robots braced themselves and held their ground.

"Mercury! Aqua Rhapsody!"

Neptune's wave flash froze around the four robots, holding them in place. Neptune glanced behind her and found Sailor Mercury standing next to a Toyota mid-size. Venus, Jupiter and Queen Serenity were emerging from the car. Mercury took a moment to assess the situation.

"Venus, hit the automaton firing the laser with your Crescent Beam!" Mercury ordered. "Aim for that tube in its mouth!"

"Got it!" Venus barked. "Crescent Beam!"

The golden beam lanced out and struck the tube in the robot's mouth. It exploded and, like the other, the explosion took its head off. The remaining body stood motionless.

"Uranus!" Mercury shouted. "Strike the frozen automatons with as hard a world shaking attack as you can muster!"

"World Shaking!" Uranus shouted as she launched her attack. The energy sphere chewed up pavement as it sped toward the frozen robots. Striking the ice, the attack generated enough force that the ice and the robots inside, now brittle from the extreme cold temperatures, shattered.

"Dead center!" Venus exclaimed.

"That wasn't too tough," Uranus grunted as she rejoined the others. "Nice to see you out and about, Dumpling. It's been too long. We got to get together some time - - maybe have another 'driving lesson' or something."

The Queen instantly blushed, a reaction noticed both by Venus and Mercury. Neptune's mouth thinned, but she said nothing. Then Venus brought her communicator up to her mouth.

"Yeah, Fuzzy?" she said. "Got it." She faced the group. "Artemis says there's more of those robot things loose. They're tearing up parts of Shinjuku and Minato-Ku. Four of them are headed for the palace."

"We have to stop them!" gasped Serenity. "We'll divide up - - take them on before they can hurt anyone!"

"Two senshi can't handle a squad of those things," Uranus argued. "Dividing us up won't do any good."

"But there are people in danger!" Serenity exclaimed.

"The better tactic is to go to the source of these things," Neptune took up the argument. "Cut off any more reinforcements, then take down the ones already loose. We may even find they're being controlled from a central source and be able to shut them down from there."

"No, that won't be possible," Mercury spoke up. "From the scans I've made of these automatons, I know that they're self-contained limited artificial intelligence operating on a set program. They're not controlled from a central source."

"So maybe we shouldn't do it your way," Jupiter added.

"That doesn't change the fact that cutting off the source of these things will keep the odds against us manageable," Neptune persisted. "Yes, there will be casualties, but there have been casualties in the time we've taken to debate the point. And the longer we take . . ."

"All right!" Serenity said sharply. "We'll do it. Let's go to the plant."

Uranus and Neptune nodded and headed for the Altima. The rest got into the Toyota.

"Leave it to her to have to always be right," muttered Jupiter.

"From a tactical standpoint, there is merit to her plan," Mercury said as she engaged the car. "It just involves 'acceptable losses'." They all felt Serenity wince.

"Artemis says they've narrowed the primary suspect behind all of this down to some guy named Nick Devlin," Venus reported. "Apparently he was Heiwajima's chief assistant."

Arriving at the Shinjuku plant, Serenity and the three senshi were greeted by one of the automatons. The robot squatted, put its hands under one of the empty police vehicles and flipped it up into the air. Mercury tried to swerve, but the police car struck her Toyota across the hood and right front fender. The car fish-tailed, then skidded as it turned one hundred and eighty degrees. At one point the car threatened to flip onto its side, but impacted with a light pole first.

Serenity and the other passengers got out of the car to a scene out of a dystopian science fiction film. The bodies of the sixteen Tokyo police officers were still on the ground. Uranus and Neptune were already engaged with four more of the automatons. Uranus had thrown a World Shaking attack, bowling several of the machines over. Neptune was using Submarine Reflection, trying to hit a non-reflective surface on the robots and sever a head or a limb.

"Jupe?" Venus inquired. Jupiter shook her head.

"I'm still recovering from my max attack," Jupiter confessed. "I've got nothing."

"I'll pick you up," Venus nodded and maneuvered to one side of the automatons. "Uranus!" she shouted at Sailor Uranus, who she had aligned with, keeping the automatons between them. "Squeeze play!"

Uranus nodded. She fired another World Shaking from her side. On the opposite side, Venus let loose with a Love and Beauty Shock attack. Three of the robots were caught in between. When the two forces met, they were crushed between. As the energies dissipated, the robots sank to the ground, servos in their limbs ruptured, circuitry overloaded and optical units damaged beyond repair. Venus flashed Uranus a thumbs up and winked.

Working together, Mercury and Neptune had subdued the fourth robot. Neptune had inundated it with Deep Submerge, then Mercury had frozen it with Aqua Rhapsody. Since Uranus was occupied, Neptune decided to finish the job herself. She summoned a golden violin.

"Submarine Violin Tide!" she called out, then brought the bow down across the strings.

Sonic vibrations emerged from the violin. They were low at first, but quickly built up until they were a high-pitched wail. The vibrations from the sound caused the frozen robot to begin shaking. At first the shaking was sympathetic, but soon the object couldn't keep pace with the sound waves. And then ice and metal made brittle by the severe cold shattered like glass into a million shards of aluminum and silicon.

"There's more coming!" Jupiter shouted out a warning. Emerging from the plant was a squad of ten more. In unison they extended razor sharp spikes from their hands.

"How many of these things are there?" Uranus exclaimed.

"Really wish Mars was here," muttered Venus.

By the car, Serenity made a decision. Levitating up into the air, she got to fifty feet above the robots and extended her hand. At once she clutched at her head in pain.

"Hon'!" cried Jupiter. Though they were silent, all the other Senshi were just as concerned.

Serenity seemed to waver a little in the air, like a wounded duck. Then she gathered herself and flew to the plant, passing through the walls and into the building.

"Try to defeat these automatons as fast as possible so we can assist Serenity!" Neptune shouted to the others. "But at least keep them busy until Serenity can shut the production plant down!"

Inside, Serenity passed through one interior room after another until she found the main production facility. An automated assembly line was producing hundreds of new robots. She grew alarmed as she landed. In a few hours there would be enough of these robots to overrun the city.

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Serenity brought up her hands, then motioned with them as if she were wiping something away. The assembled automatons and the robots assembling them evaporated like mist.

But at once a terrible pain seized the Queen. Her legs became watery and she fell to her knees, clutching her head. A whimper of pain escaped.

The click of leather shoes on concrete was approaching her from behind. Fighting through the pain wracking her, Serenity turned and looked toward the sound. A man was approaching. He was American or European by his look, composed and confident. Was this the man Venus was talking about?"

"Queen Serenity," he said with poorly concealed disdain. "I've been expecting you."

"A-Are you," Serenity gasped out, "Nick Devlin?"

"The same," Devlin replied.

"Why?"

Continued in Chapter 11


	11. The Disciple

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 11: The Disciple  
A Sailor Moon fanfic  
By Bill K.

* * *

"A-Are you," Serenity gasped out, "Nick Devlin?"

"The same," Devlin replied.

"Why?"

"Why am I Nick Devlin?" he asked in confusion.

"Why are you creating robots that kill?" Serenity asked, her voice faltering from the pain she was in. "Why are you killing people?"

"Terror," Devlin answered matter-of-factly. Serenity stared at him, unable to comprehend. "Instill terror in a population and they're more likely to respond favorably when you offer them peace in exchange for control." When she didn't respond as he expected, Devlin continued. "People want to be safe. They'll turn to anyone who they feel can make them safe and give that person anything in exchange for that safety. That's why they turned to you after the invasion of those ice monsters. They wanted to be safe and you were their best hope." He grinned mirthlessly. "Now they'll find out differently. And when I offer them the safety they so crave, they'll turn to me."

"They'll," Serenity gasped out between pants, "find you out - - turn on you."

"Let them find me out. I'll hardly keep it a secret. Anyone who opposes me will die," Devlin stated. "No human can stand up to the Daiyaku Automaton. Even your senshi are hard-pressed to do so. Eventually they'll wear down and my robots will kill them. You were really the only threat. That's why I had to take," and his eyebrow cocked, "measures."

Two metal appendages resembling hands slashed down, intending to drive the sharp spikes at the end of the fingers through Serenity's body. But at the last moment, somehow sensing the movement through the blinding pain she was enduring, Serenity swung her hand back just enough to create a barrier. The spikes glanced off, their sharp tips bending or breaking on impact.

Undaunted, the automaton clamped its hands onto Serenity's upper arms and lifted her up into the air. Her dainty slippered feet dangled four feet off of the floor. The pressure on her arms was great, but the pounding in her skull was worse.

"The more you resist, the more it will hurt," Devlin told her coldly. "When I set this plan into motion, the first thing I did was ensure you wouldn't be able to stop me."

"What did you do?" Serenity whimpered.

"There's a nanobot in your brain," Devlin replied. "You see, I've theorized that this 'Crystal Energy' of yours is just amplified psycho-kinetic energy. So at your last appearance, I injected you with a nanobot. Every time you use your crystal energy, the nanobot injects you with an electric current that stimulates the pain centers in your brain." He smiled and this smile was one of reverence. "Just one more gift from the great Viluy."

"V-Viluy? But she's gone!" wheezed Serenity.

* * *

"...and all citizens are required to stay off the streets. This has been deemed by the Tokyo Metro Police as a Class One emergency situation and institution of curfew regulations has taken effect."

Sanjuro Ikegami sat in front of his television watching news coverage of the battle in Shinjuku. An overhead helicopter was broadcasting live pictures of the Sailor Senshi in combat with a squad of deadly looking automatons. Every so often his wife, Sailor Jupiter, would flash across the picture and his heart would stop. Sanjuro had accepted his wife's duty when they first got together. Much like the spouse of a soldier, he knew the risks that came with the job.

But it didn't make it any easier to watch.

"Is that Mom on TV?" Akiko shouted from the doorway. Sanjuro sighed. The one saving grace of this battle being at night had been that the kids would be in bed.

"Maybe you better go back . . ." he began, turning to his daughter. She was already at the arm of the sofa.

"Don't tell me to go back to bed!" Akiko snapped. "Not with Mom on TV!"

His first inclination was to rap his daughter on the head and send her to her room just for raising her voice to him. But cooler thoughts prevailed. Akiko's defiance was born of her hero worship of her mother's senshi identity as much as ill manners. She was a passionate child. He knew that. Taking another huge breath to calm himself further, Sanjuro gestured the girl to him. Akiko took a seat between her father's legs, his massive arms wrapped securely around her. As she watched the television avidly, Sanjuro rested his chin on her head.

"Don't snap at people, Akiko," he said as they watched. "It's not nice."

"Yes, Dad," she murmured. Then she tensed. "That robot almost got her! Why doesn't she use her lightning?"

"Maybe lightning can't affect it," Sanjuro suggested, giving voice to his own fears.

"She probably already used her max attack and she has to regenerate," Akiko replied. At that moment, the automaton lunged for Jupiter, trying to impale her on its finger spikes. Instead Jupiter grabbed the limb and judo flipped the machine over her and onto its back. "YEAH, THAT'S IT, MOM!"

"Akiko, you'll wake your brother," Sanjuro admonished quietly.

"Is Mom on TV again?" Ichiro asked sleepily. The boy wandered over to the sofa. Sanjuro reached over, grasped his son by the upper arm and effortlessly pulled him onto the sofa next to them.

"They're fighting killer robots from space!" Akiko told him.

"You don't know that they're from space," Sanjuro corrected her. The three watched the senshi continue to struggle against the automatons.

"It's not fair," Ichiro said suddenly. "It's not fair that Mom has to keep risking herself. Why can't someone else fight for a change?"

"No one else is as good as Mom," Akiko proclaimed, her eyes still glued to the set. "She has to do it."

"I think your brother is talking about other people becoming dependent on your Mom fighting for them," Sanjuro explained. "It can be tough, being the one who always stands up for what's right. You endure physical pain or suffer emotional losses. And sometimes you wonder why does it have to be you. Your Mom hasn't reached that point yet. To her, the fight is worth the pain and suffering, because she's fighting for something she thinks is important. Maybe one day she'll reach her limit." He glanced down at Akiko. "I hope you won't look down on her if she does." He looked over at Ichiro. "And I hope you won't be angry if she doesn't."

Sanjuro felt Akiko tense between his legs. He looked back at the screen. While some of the other senshi were still fighting, Sailor Jupiter dangled limply from one hand of an automaton. It's other hand was raised, spikes out, ready to slash.

* * *

"Yes," Devlin murmured and Serenity felt the genuine sadness he experienced. "But she left behind her notes - - her ideas - - her writings. I found them when I transferred over here. They were," and his lip quivered, "brilliant. She was brilliant. Sixteen years old and she already had the world figured out. Humanity was a cesspool of emotional, illogical organisms trying to satisfy their avarices. Love. Money. Power. Sex. Status."

"They're more," Serenity said. She found the calmer she was, the less it hurt. But it did nothing to get her freedom.

"No, they're not. They have their uses, but only if properly managed," Devlin scowled. "Viluy was right. Machine was destined to rule man."

"That's where you found the plans for these," Serenity asked, and couldn't resist scowling at the end, "things?"

"The general ideas were there," Devlin replied. "I tried to extrapolate them, but she was too much of a visionary for me to hope to finish her work. But my attempts attracted the attention of Arnold Beliveau." Devlin snickered. "He was so desperate to live forever that he would give carte blanche to anyone who could make it happen. He was already employing Yogen Heiwajima. Heiwajima is brilliant in his own right. When I showed Heiwajima my attempts to complete what Viluy had conceptualized, his face just lit up. If I took Viluy's work to step two, he took it to three and four, and that in turn inspired me to take it to what you see now."

"He knew what you were doing?" Serenity asked.

"No," Devlin shook his head. "Yogen, for all his brilliance, just couldn't see humanity for what it was. He had this stubborn belief that he would make servants instead of soldiers and humanity would be lifted up on the backs of his creations. So while he worked on that, I took his innovations and converted them to my ends."

"But you're wrong," Serenity argued. "Wrong about humanity and wrong about what you're doing with these creations. Viluy was wrong and it led to her defeat. And if you follow in her footsteps, it will lead to yours as well. Please don't let this obsession destroy you."

"It's not going to destroy me, just as it didn't destroy someone as great as Viluy," Devlin said. He grew stern. "You destroyed Viluy. But I'd taken precautions. To do that, I needed to distract you. I superceded the A.I. programming on the Daiyaku prototype so it would run amok. I needed to see if an automaton could be programmed to kill. And I needed you to occupy Yogen's attention, so neither he nor you would realize what I was doing.

"To that end, I sent the computer hack from his station to implicate him and leave me a free hand," Devlin continued. "You all reacted very predictably."

"That poor man," Serenity whispered. "How could you make him suffer so?"

"It was necessary," Devlin responded. "I actually admire him. When I assume power, I'll find a way to use him. He's a mind that shouldn't go to waste."

"We'll stop you," Serenity maintained.

"Unlikely," Devlin said. "I was behind the robotic roach invasion as well. Your computer tech, whoever he is, was getting too close. I needed another distraction. And they served multiple purposes. The robots recorded telemetry of every building in Tokyo, as well as any information previously stored on RFID chips. I know everyone's secrets and every vulnerable place to strike. They also initiated a delayed sabotage of the city's computer network. All I have to do is press a button," and he touched the screen on his pad, "and the city is blind, deaf, and mute."

Serenity closed her eyes. Suddenly the automaton holding her vanished into mist. But once again she clutched her head and no sooner did her feet touch the floor than she was again on her knees.

"You just don't learn, do you?" Devlin commented. "Still, you did get me to talking about my favorite subject, so your delaying tactic did work in the short run." He gestured and a shadow fell over Serenity. "But I've got more robots."

Behind her, an automaton opened its mouth, revealing the laser projector concealed inside. The laser prepared to cut Serenity in half.

* * *

The automaton had its arm raised, ready to drive the spikes at the end of its hand into the limp body of Sailor Jupiter, who dangled from its other hand. It had struck her from behind with a section of loose concrete, the mass ripped up from the sidewalk with those same hands. Overhead, a news helicopter recorded events for an eager and anxious television audience. In the distance, sirens wailed as police tried to corral other automatons loose in Shinjuku and give assistance to the Senshi.

"Venus! Love and Beauty Shock!" rang out over the battleground, followed by a blast of golden energy that struck the automaton where the rib cage would be in a human. The impact bowed the robot at the waist joint, whipped it off its base and sent the thing rocketing across thirty-six feet of pavement before it came to a landing. Unfortunately Jupiter was pulled part of the way with it before the cloth in her sailor kerchief ripped. She landed in a decorative planter on the sidewalk, sprawled awkwardly in a bush, still unconscious.

Venus whirled at a sound and saw Sailor Mercury tumble forward. She had been caught across the back by the slash of another attacking automaton. Mercury had managed to avoid a deeper, fatal wound, but the machine had drawn blood. Struggling to get up, Mercury couldn't see the robot looming over her and certainly couldn't move fast enough to avoid a killing stroke. Venus was about to launch an attack, even though she could hear an attack coming up on her fast from behind.

Then one of Uranus's force spheres slammed into the robot over Mercury. The machine was propelled through a street light and against the side of a building, striking hard. It was in the process of pushing away as Venus turned in time to catch the thrust of the one attacking her. Leaving her feet, Venus rode the arm and allowed the robot to carry her to prevent the spikes from impaling her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an electric wire from the lamp jump to the automaton that had attacked Mercury. Current poured into the metal beast and it seized up. Venus wondered if the current would be enough. Then a wave of water inundated both the wire and the automaton. Sparks flew and water sizzled and spat.

Suddenly the entire area blacked out. Street lights and traffic signals went dark. Lights in buildings winked out. Then Venus felt the free arm of the robot she was riding swing and strike her in the side. Pain shot through her. Knocked from the arm she was riding, Venus hit the sidewalk and rolled to a stop. Drifting out of consciousness, her last thought was that it looked like the entire prefecture was blacked out.

Sailor Neptune backed up against Sailor Uranus. She surveyed the situation as best she could in the darkness of the night illuminated only by a sliver of a crescent moon. One automaton was deactivated due to the massive electrical overload it had taken. A second was on its feet and striding purposefully toward Jupiter. A third was stalking Venus. Five more were converging on them, her only clue to their locations being the red glow of their optical sensors and the heavy fall of their steps on the pavement. In the distance, she could hear random screams and wondered if others were being murdered by these killing machines.

"Ready?" she heard Uranus ask.

"We'll give them everything we can muster," Neptune replied. "Haruka - - I love you."

"I'll always love you," Uranus replied curtly. "World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

* * *

Serenity turned and wondered if she could cut through the pain gripping her skull fast enough to transform the automaton into atoms before it could launch its laser point blank at her. At no point did she think of transforming Nick Devlin into atoms. Though it would have solved her problem, it was as foreign a thought to her as could be imagined. She was Serenity and she didn't believe in such things.

Moments before the machine opened fire, a blur of green and red shot by the kneeling queen. One moment it wasn't there; the next, a red rose was sticking out of the automaton where the head swivel was connected to the torso. Sparks escaped on either side of the rose's stem. The robot froze in place. One beat became two, and then the device exploded. Miraculously, Serenity was untouched by hot shrapnel from the doomed machine.

"Endymion," Serenity smiled, tracking to where her husband entered. He wore his black armor and carried his sword in his right hand. The King walked easily but purposefully toward Nick Devlin.

"Surrender now," Endymion demanded calmly, but Serenity and Devlin both could see the emotion bubbling just under the surface, for Endymion never took kindly to people threatening his wife, "or pay the consequences."

"You don't grasp the situation," Devlin told him. "The time of humanity is past. You're an anachronism. You fight with a sword while I fight with superior technology provided by the most superior intellect the world has ever seen."

"Anachronistic, I'll grant you," Endymion whispered to Devlin, for in the blink of an eye he was right in front of Devlin, the tip of his sword pressing into the engineer's throat. "But no less deadly. Surrender now."

"Endymion, please don't hurt him!" Serenity begged.

The sword didn't move away immediately. Endymion wanted to acquiesce to his wife's wishes. He wanted to be as pure and as pristine as she was. But she never believed anyone was beyond salvation. He never believed anyone was truly neutralized until they were dead.

Finally the sword moved away from Devlin's throat, but not for altruistic reasons. Serenity screamed as another automaton lunged for Endymion, its spikes splayed. But Endymion was already moving, drawing his cape up to deflect the slash as he moved away from it. As he brought his sword down on the robot, another was moving into view. The sword stroke stopped on the surface of the automaton, the edge skidding down the side of its shoulder as momentum drove it.

The nearest robot swung its arm, readjusting to Endymion's movements. Though Endymion avoided the spikes, the arm caught him on the side. The momentum and the tremendous strength of the mechanical warrior sent Endymion to the floor. He skidded to a stop some ten feet away, the side of his armor visibly dented. A third automaton appeared and began to converge. At a disadvantage, Endymion produced three roses from under his cloak and flung them at his first opponent. The stems all pierced the metallic surface of the machine where his sword couldn't. Sparks came from each impact point, but none of the hits were in vital areas. The other two automatons were nearly upon him. By now a fourth one had appeared. Its mouth was open in preparation for its laser attack.

Lashing out with his foot, Endymion shoved one of the automatons away. As the other lunged for him, the King somersaulted over it, landing behind the thing. He stood still long enough for the fourth robot to draw a bead on him. Launching himself into the air once more, Endymion avoided the laser strike and the beam hit the robot behind him instead. The beam struck the automaton along its neck joint. The head slid off and bounced on the floor. The body stood still for a moment, then sank to the floor, inert. Endymion's leap took him close enough to the fourth. Crouching under the beam, the King swung his sword, targeting the knee joints of the metal man. The stroke cleaved the joints and the upper part of the automaton toppled backwards, landing on the floor unable to walk.

To his left, the robot wounded by the roses was advancing on him. It had a heavy piece of equipment and sought to bludgeon Endymion with it. Pulling out another rose, Endymion took careful aim and fired. The stem pierced the robot's left eye and lodged deep in its circuitry. The robot made several jerky movements, then ceased to function.

"ENDYMION, BEHIND YOU!" shrieked Serenity.

But her warning was too late. The last automaton seized Endymion from behind, wrapping its powerful arms around his chest. The King roared out in agony as it began to squeeze. It pulled him off of his feet, leaning back to gain more leverage. His chest was caught in a metallic vise, the pressure drawing another howl of pain from him. Serenity looked on in horror. She had to do something. She had to save him.

But would the piercing pain in her head allow her?

Concluded in Chapter 12


	12. Dangerous Things

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE  
Chapter 12: Dangerous Things  
A Sailor Moon fanfic

By Bill K.

* * *

The automaton squeezed harder and forced another scream of agony from the mouth of King Endymion. In self defense, he'd jammed the stem of a rose into the thing's hip, but it had done nothing to relieve the pressure across his chest.

"STOP IT!" shrieked Queen Serenity. "PLEASE STOP IT! YOU'RE KILLING HIM!"

"And did you stop when Viluy died?" Nick Devlin asked. His lower lip trembled. "I wish I could have met her. Wish I could have known her. She was such an amazing person."

"PLEASE!"

"Far better than this world deserved," Devlin mused.

Desperately Serenity closed her eyes and sought out the Silver Crystal. She began to draw energy from it and almost immediately was seized by blinding pain. It felt like an ax had cleaved her skull open. To block it out, she tried to think of her husband and how much she loved him. She tried to think of her friends and how much they meant to her. Through the pain, she opened her mind and let the emotions of the city flow into her. She sensed all of the fear and desperation they felt, the pain of Endymion and her senshi and the police fighting a losing battle against tens of relentless metal monsters.

"It has to stop," Serenity whispered.

Devlin looked down at her curiously. The Queen seized up as if a knife had jammed through her gut.

"IT HAS TO STOP!" Serenity wailed. Tears were streaming down her face as her features twisted up in agony. The Queen arched her face to the ceiling, and then keeled over backwards in oblivion.

* * *

Serenity's first sight was Endymion's face and she wondered if she was in heaven. He seemed so worried and she feared it was because of her. Then she noticed the golden glow around him. Did spirits glow in the afterlife?

"She's coming around," she heard Mercury sigh with relief. Glancing over, she saw Mercury on the other side of her, visor down. The Queen noticed the pale complexion Mercury had and the ugly scuff marks on the side of her face.

Feeling Endymion's arm against her back, Serenity felt herself lifted into a sitting position. Jupiter and Venus, Uranus and Neptune were all kneeling around her. Serenity cringed. Jupiter was bleeding from her mouth. Venus tried to conceal it, but she was in considerable pain and had cloth wrapped around her ribs. Uranus had several welts on her face and neck, as well as a tattered kerchief, while Neptune had one eye swollen shut and dried blood around her nose and scratches on her neck.

"What happened to all of you?" Serenity gasped.

"Jewelry store clearance sale," quipped Venus, smiling. "Those bargain hunters fight dirty."

"The robots! Devlin!" the Queen recalled.

"Devlin's in custody," Endymion assured her. He wasn't breathing easily, but he put up a brave front.

"As for the robots," Neptune said, "you apparently disintegrated them all. We were fighting them, and not doing very well."

"Then they just faded away like a bad dream," Uranus grinned. "First thing out of my mouth was 'it had to be Dumpling'."

"And without his automaton army, Devlin wasn't much for the fight," Endymion added.

"You didn't hurt him, did you?" Serenity asked fearfully.

"I'm not as charitable as you," Endymion said. "He tried to escape. When I stopped him, he resisted. He's alive, but I wasn't gentle."

"Artemis and city engineers are in the process of trying to restore city services," Mercury informed them. "The crisis has been averted for the moment, so I would recommend medical attention for both you and Endymion."

"For all of us!" Serenity exclaimed. "You're all clearly suffering!"

"But you forget," Mercury smiled, then allowed her senshi form to fade back to Ami Fujihara, "my injuries fade with my senshi form. You and Endymion, on the other hand, no longer have senshi forms. And there's the matter of that nanobot in your brain that must be dealt with. My visor doesn't show any permanent damage to your brain, but the safest course of action will be to remove it as quickly as possible."

"I'll drive you," Haruka said. "Michiru's Altima is outside, if you don't mind riding in an Altima." Michiru peevishly jabbed her in the ribs. "And don't give me an argument or I'll throw you over my shoulder - - Your Majesty."

"All right," huffed Serenity.

"Good," Haruka smiled. "Should be just enough room for me, you, Endymion and Ami. Michiru, Honey, can you catch a ride back with the others?"

"I understand. Go," Michiru assured her.

As Ami and Haruka helped the Royal Couple out to the street, Minako turned to the others.

"Let's go!" Minako exclaimed. "Keys are probably still in the ignition of Ami's Toyota. I'll drive."

"Blondie," Makoto said. "Ami's car got damaged in the battle. Remember?" Minako's shoulders slumped. "I'm not sure it'll even run."

"The gods hate me," muttered Minako.

* * *

Dr. Yogen Heiwajima was brought from the holding facility of the Shinjuku Prefecture Police Precinct by two uniformed officers. Unlike when he arrived, his hands weren't cuffed. The news that he was being released gladdened him. It had been frustrating sitting in his cell and wondering about the welfare of his daughter Madako and the fate of the Daiyaku Project. And when the power had gone off the previous evening, his anxiety level had gone up further. Rumors had spread through the cells, rumors based on speculation and bits of information. They were dire rumors, rumors that made him wonder if he'd ever be free again.

They passed through a door into a connecting room. Instantly he spotted Madako running to him. Heiwajima knelt down and caught the girl, hugging her to him. For the longest time, the two just embraced. Neither seemed to want to let go. Finally Heiwajima pulled away and looked at her. Madako was crying tears of joy, but also tears of terror buried deep within her that they could be separated again. And he wished he could make those fears go away. He'd give up anything to do that.

A rustle on the floor caught his attention. King Endymion and Queen Serenity were in the room as well, approaching him. His expression hardened. He expected the worst. But to his surprise, the two monarchs stopped and bowed to him.

"Please forgive us for wrongly arresting you and keeping you in jail," Queen Serenity said. "We were all fooled by Devlin-San. But that doesn't change how much you suffered because of it. On behalf of ourselves and on behalf of the Japanese government, we apologize to you."

And they bowed again. Heiwajima rose to his feet.

"Devlin, huh?" Heiwajima scowled. "I accept your apology, Your Majesty. Thank you for offering it."

"I spoke with Arnold Beliveau," Endymion told him. "He's eager to have you back at your old position. And we're willing to compensate you for any difficulties that might arise from this situation."

"And the Daiyaku Project?" Heiwajima asked. "Will you permit my research to continue?"

The corners of Endymion's mouth turned down.

"That's," he began reluctantly, "still to be decided."

* * *

The next day, Makoto was back in her comfort zone. The house was spotless. Her family was due home at any time and she was cooking. She glanced at the steamer to see how the rice was doing. Then the phone rang.

"Ikegami-San? This is the front gate. Were you expecting company?" a palace guard said over the phone.

"No," Makoto replied, mystified. "Why?"

"There's some people here with your son," the guard informed her.

"I'll be right down!" Makoto gasped. Dinner forgotten, she was out the door in a flash. Arriving moments later at the front gate, she found her two children waiting for her, along with three other boys Ichiro's age. Makoto looked at them and then at Ichiro, unable to comprehend what was going on.

"Hi, Mom," Ichiro spoke up. "This is Izumi-Kun, Momohito-Kun and Kawashi-Kun. Is it OK if they come over to visit? They kind of wanted to meet you."

Makoto didn't respond. She was still mystified by the entire series of events. Then she noticed Akiko off to the side, giggling to herself at the woman's behavior.

"A-Are you really Sailor Jupiter?" the boy named Izumi asked, gaping at her in utter astonishment.

"You don't look anything like your action figure," Momohito added.

Makoto knelt down by Ichiro. "Have you known these boys long?" she asked.

"They've been in my class for two years," Ichiro shrugged. "I know them to talk to, but we weren't really 'friends', I guess. Not until they found out Sailor Jupiter is my mom. But they're all right."

He didn't say more, but Makoto could see by his expression that this was an important chance to bond with some of his classmates.

"I guess it's OK," Makoto told him. "Would you boys like to stay for dinner?"

"Do it!" Ichiro told them. "Mom's the greatest cook there is!"

"OK!" they all nodded. A smile began to bloom on Ichiro's face.

"Can you shoot some lightning for us?" Kawashi asked.

"Not indoors," Makoto replied with a chuckle.

The three boys looked disappointed, but they quickly got over it and followed Ichiro into the palace. Akiko slid up next to her mother, who still wasn't certain what to make of this.

"Way to go, Mom. You almost blew it for him," she grinned.

"Blew what?"

Her smiled dimmed a little. "Squirt's kind of had a hard time of it. You know he doesn't mix well with the other kids. And that whole thing with the bully just made it worse. Letting yourself just get whaled on to protect someone else - - well, some of the other kids admired him for it, but they didn't know how to tell him. And then word got out that his mom is Sailor Jupiter and it kind of isolated him for a while."

"I was afraid of that," Makoto whimpered.

"But I guess the lure of having a super hero for a mom was too much for some of them," Akiko shrugged. "They came to him. Sure, it was to meet you, but if he's not a complete dope, he'll open up and maybe they can be friends."

The corners of Makoto's mouth turned up.

"Try not to embarrass him in front of them, huh?" Akiko added.

"Get cleaned up for dinner, Mouthy," Makoto fussed. Akiko headed smirking for the palace door. Makoto rose to full height and exhaled. Kids.

Why didn't they come with an instruction manual?

* * *

In the Senshi's conference room, Serenity and Endymion sat with Ami, Makoto, Minako, Luna and Artemis. Rei was still in The Philippines. Haruka and Michiru had been invited, but they declined. The question at hand was what to do with the cybernetic automaton advances discovered and developed by Viluy, Yogen Heiwajima and Nick Devlin.

"Such things ought not to be allowed," Luna sniffed. "They've already proven to be a danger."

"I'm not sure I want to live in a world with something faster, stronger and more durable than humans, who can turn on humans with the push of a button," Makoto admitted.

"Pretty soon they'll be making ones that look like humans," Minako soberly theorized. "Then where will humans be?"

"The technology has the potential to be harmful," Artemis nodded. "But there's as many or more benefits that can be derived from it. Do you throw all of that out just because of the potential for abuse? Might as well get rid of cars, too."

"But can we ignore the potential harm they can do just because the potential benefits are attractive?" Endymion argued.

Serenity digested the discussion. Ami had to this point remained silent. The Queen turned to her.

"I've stated previously how I feel about this," Ami said. "I know the old proverb 'a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing' applies here. I submit that it isn't the knowledge that's dangerous. It's its application. We must never, ever come to a point where we fear knowledge. We must instead be watchful that knowledge is applied to the betterment of humanity, not to its destruction or exploitation."

"That's a lot of people to watch," Minako shot back.

"Granted and some abuse will fall through the gaps of vigilance," Ami nodded. "I maintain that suppression is not the answer. Humanity is a very curious, very ingenious species. Anything that has been discovered once can be discovered again, no matter what lengths are taken to suppress that discovery. And do you really want to go to those lengths? If we suppress this project and destroy the knowledge behind it, we'll be buying ourselves fifty to one hundred years at the most before someone else solves the riddle. Or we can face the discovery, both its good and bad points, and deal with what evolves from that discovery. I feel in the long run, the good will outweigh the bad."

Serenity's brow knit. "Endymion?" she asked.

"Well," he began, "my first inclination is to eradicate anything that's a threat to this place and to the people in it. But I have to admit that Ami makes a very persuasive argument. And we are supposed to be enlightening people, not keeping them in the dark. Beliveau-San and I and the members of the Diet oversight committee have worked out a set of acceptable regulatory guidelines. I feel we should allow the Daiyaku Project to continue - - as long as it's supervised."

"Then that's what we'll do," Serenity nodded. "With one exception." Everybody focused on her. "No machines that look like people - - ever."

"You've stated that position before, Serenity," Ami observed. "I assume it stems from our last encounter with Yui. What exactly happened to make you so adamant about this?"

Serenity became visibly emotional. "You don't want to know, Ami-Chan," the Queen said. "In this case, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing." And of them all, only Endymion truly knew what she was referring to.

* * *

Weeks after Super Typhoon DuJuan had struck Taiwan, Mother Nature had risen up again and attacked The Philippines with much the same ferocity. At Ninoy Aquino Airport in Manila, enough of the damage from Typhoon Koppu had been cleared away to allow planes to land. On the tarmac was a Philippine Military Honor Guard, along with the nation's President and several national and local dignitaries. They all waited on a private jet at the edge of the tarmac. When the plane's hatch opened, everyone's excitement grew. Queen Serenity and King Endymion themselves stepped out. All eyes went to Serenity. She seemed even more ethereal in person.

But to their collective surprise, the Queen hitched up her skirt with her hands and buzzed past everyone to joyously hug a visiting Shinto priest at the end of the gathering. It was up to King Endymion to greet the President and make apologies.

"Oh, Rei, I've missed you so!" the Queen exclaimed. "How are you feeling?"

"Serenity, we just talked yesterday," Rei sighed. Then she smiled timidly. "A little better."

"Is it helping, being here?"

"Well, it was a little uncomfortable at first," Rei admitted, "being a Shinto priest in a country that's ninety percent Catholic. Fortunately I was able to put some of my Catholic School education to use and link up with the church here." She grew introspective. "It's helped some, being able to forget about my sight and being a senshi and just help people who need help. It's been hard for people here since the ice disaster, in the cities and especially in the rural areas. Then Koppu hit. A lot of people didn't have very much before the typhoon and the flooding took THAT from them."

"That's why I'm here," smiled Serenity.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" Rei asked her pointedly. "I heard about what happened in Taiwan."

"I didn't tell you about that!" Serenity gasped.

"You're not the only one I talk to," Rei replied stonily.

"OK, WHO BLABBED?"

Rei scowled. "Who do you think?"

Serenity's mouth screwed up petulantly. "Mina-Chan." She shook herself. "Well, it's OK now. Ami-chan took that nano-thingy out of my brain and I'm as good as I ever was - - I think."

"YOU THINK?"

"Rei-Chan, relax," Serenity said confidently. "I've got this."

Before Rei could protest further, Serenity closed her eyes and let her head fall back. As the priest, the King and the dignitaries all watched, a warp appeared over her chest. Out of the warp floated the Silver Crystal, glowing brilliantly in the afternoon sun. Cupping her hands around it, Serenity took a deep breath. The crystal pulsed and silver energy fanned out from her in a circle. Moments later, an aid to the President answered his cell phone.

"Mr. President," the aide said, loud enough for the others to hear, "the flood waters have receded - - apparently all around the country."

"Really?" the President asked in amazement.

"And all of the damage is gone," the aide continued. "Not just the flood damage, but the damage from the ice as well!"

The Silver Crystal returned to its warp and the warp disappeared. Immediately, Serenity began to wobble unsteadily and fell backwards. Endymion was quickly there to catch her.

"Maybe it wasn't just the nano-thingy," Serenity said. Her eyes didn't quite seem to focus.

"Are you all right?" Rei demanded desperately.

"Just a little light-headed. I'm already feeling better," she said, then turned to her husband. "Thank you, Endymion." He smiled paternally at her. "But I am feeling a little hungry."

"You're all right," Rei smirked. It was heartening to see her smile again.

"Mr. President Sir," Serenity said, suddenly turning to the ruler, "please don't take offense. Endymion and I will meet with you. But Rei is a very old, very dear friend of mine and I'd like to visit with her over lunch, if that's OK."

"Of course," the President nodded. "Perhaps you'll accept my invitation to have dinner with myself and my wife."

"Certainly," Serenity smiled and its radiance seemed to make everyone feel better.

As they watched the three visitors walk off, each one could hear them speaking.

"So, how are you and Derek getting along?" the Queen asked eagerly.

"None of your business," the priest replied impatiently.

"REI, DON'T BE THAT WAY!" howled the Queen before they disappeared into the airport plaza.

The End


End file.
